Emanuel Navarrete shouldn’t be giving up on the lightweight division despite his 12 round split loss last Saturday night to Denys Berinchyk in a failed bid to win the vacant WBO 135-lb belt.
Berinchyk won the fight by the scores of 116-112 and 115-113, while the third judge surprisingly had Navarrete the winner by the rating of 116-112. I had it 11-1 in Berinchyk’s favor. It wasn’t even remotely close.
Overmatched at Lightweight
Berinchyk schooled Navarrete from A to B, making him appear to be a stay-busy variety of opponent. Navarrete didn’t resemble a top-tier fighter against Berinchyk. The judges gave Navarrete rounds he didn’t deserve. At lightweight, Navarrete is a below average fighter, and could be food for most of the top 10 and even the underside feeders would beat him.
hrow Navarrete in with #12-ranked Mark Chamberlain or #12 Maxi Hughes and the identical thing would occur to him as we saw last night. Navarrete shouldn’t be talented enough to compete at lightweight at a high level.
Fighting in his fourth weight division, Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) looked slow, lethargic, and overmatched against the faster, more technically gifted Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) at their most important event contest on the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.
Navarrete’s punches didn’t have the identical effect on Berinchyk, a 2012 Olympic silver medalist and natural lightweight, as they did when the Mexican star was fighting within the 122, 126, and 130-lb divisions.
Uncertain Future with Top Rank
It seemed obvious that moving as much as the 135-lb division was a bridge too far for Navarrete, and things aren’t going to get well for him if his promoters at Top Rank proceed to throw him in with talented opposition at lightweight.
It’s difficult to predict what Top Rank promoter Bob Arum desires to do with Navarrete. If Arum sets him up with a title shot against IBF lightweight champion Vasily Lomachenko, the final result will likely be far worse for Navarrete than last night’s loss because Loma is on one other level and can make the most of the Mexican star’s lack of sound fundamentals.
Lomachenko vs. Navarrete could be a business-level fight that may be only for money purposes, but wouldn’t be competitive. Obviously, it might be a foul search for Navarrete to be given a title shot against Lomachenko off of a loss to Berinchyk, but it surely wouldn’t be the primary time we’ve seen this type of thing in boxing.
A Return to Super Featherweight?
For the sake of Navarrete’s profession, he must return to super featherweight and proceed defending his WBO title. Nonetheless, even in that division, Navarrete’s days are numbered.
In Navarrete’s previous fight against Robson Conceicao, he was held to a controversial 12-round draw last November. I had Conceicao winning the fight, however the judges bailed Navarrwete out, giving him a draw.
The performance by Navarrete showed that he’s vulnerable at 130, and he won’t hold onto his WBO title for long unless his promoters at Top Rank feed him soft opposition. The judges won’t keep bailing Navarrete out indefinitely. If he can not swim with the sharks, he doesn’t belong as a champion. That’s the underside line.
Navarrete’s Determination
“It was something latest for me. Like I at all times said, it might be difficult. Denys is an excellent fighter. He made me struggle so much. And also you saw what happened. But I’m blissful with how I fought. I do know that I want to enhance,” said Navarrete after his loss to Berinchyk last Saturday night.
“I’m not sad. I comprehend it was a test. I needed to do more, but I do know that I can do more. So, I congratulate him on his win. I’m blissful because I attempted things out at 135 kilos, and I do know I shall be strong at this division.”
