By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Charly Suarez dropped a controversial technical decision against World Boxing Organization (WBO) super featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California on Sunday, May 11 (Manila time).
The referee waved off the fight at the start of the eighth round on the recommendation of the ringside physician after Navarrete sustained a bloody cut right above his left eyebrow after what was ruled as an accidental headbutt in the sixth round.
The decision went to the scorecards with judge Lou Moret scoring the bout 78-75 and both
Pat Russell and Fernando Villarreal 77-76 all in favor of the Mexican.
It was however an anti-climactic end to the bout that has been thrilling and entertaining from start to finish with both fighters throwing haymakers one after another.
It was all the more painful for the part of the 36-year-old Suarez, who contended that the cut was not from an accidental clash of heads but rather a sweeping left overhead counter that connected to the head of Navarrete before the head collision.
Television replays did show Suarez’s left hitting Navarrete’s head during that sequence but the committee found it inconclusive, hence the official stuck to the ruling on the ring which referee Edward Collantes called as a head butt.
“I hit him with the left straight,” said Suarez, who absorbed his first taste of defeat after going undefeated through his first 18 fights.
Navarrete said otherwise, insisting that he knew it was from a headbutt right after the impact.
“I felt strong [with the weight cut] unfortunately it ended like that [with the headbutt], but I felt good. From the first moment of the impact, I knew it was a headbutt and it split my eye completely,” he added.
Navarrete, who improved to a 40-2-1 record, actually dictated the fight in the early goings though Suarez was not backing down and was landing his own combinations.
Suarez, banking on his wealth of amateur experience, tried to wear down Navarrete with body shots but the Mexican champion managed to keep controlling the pace with slick combinations.
Sensing the blood after the Round 6 headbutt, Suarez pressed the fight and mercilessly peppered Navarrete with big shots, though Navarrete retaliated with a booming left to the body that forced Suarez to back pedal.
The ringside physician monitored the bloody cut every start of the round until the eighth frame where he deemed Navarrete unable to continue.
