Mexican champion Emanuel Navarrete’s controversial win over Filipino boxer Charly Suarez has been overturned into a no contest, with the WBO ordering a rematch for the super featherweight title.
What was initially a controversial technical decision victory for Mexican boxer Emanuel Navarrete has now officially been struck from the record books.
The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) voted unanimously on Tuesday to overturn Navarrete’s win over Filipino challenger Charly Suarez into a no contest.
This comes after a thorough review of footage that revealed a critical officiating error during their May 10 bout at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.
Navarrete was originally declared the winner via technical unanimous decision, 77-76, 78-75, 77-76, after the fight was stopped one second into Round 8, due to a cut above his left eye.
Referee Edward Collantes had ruled the gash was the result of an accidental clash of heads, triggering a review of the scorecards as the fight had passed the four-round mark.
However, while the CSAC initially reviewed ringside footage and found no definitive cause, ESPN's broadcast team later uncovered a clearer angle showing the cut was in fact caused by a clean left hand from Suarez in the seventh round—meaning the Filipino boxer should have been declared the winner by TKO.
Although CSAC corrected the result to a no contest, it refrained from awarding the win to Suarez, citing procedural grounds as the evidence surfaced only after the official decision was made.
Nonetheless, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) has now stepped in, ordering an immediate rematch for the super featherweight world title.
Both Navarrete and Suarez are promoted by Top Rank under Bob Arum, making negotiations for the rematch smoother.
No date has been announced, but the rematch is expected to be a high-stakes affair, with both boxers looking to settle the score cleanly.