Emanuel Navarrete will face Liam Wilson for the vacant 130-pound belt Friday in Glendale, Arizona, on ESPN and ESPN+.
EMANUEL NAVARRETE (36-1, 30 KOS) VS. LIAM WILSON (11-1, 7 KOS)
- Day: Friday, February 3
- Time: 10pm ET / 7pm Pacific Time (main event follows)
- Where: Diamond Desert Arena, Glendale, Arizona
- television/stream: GAME, GAME +
- Assignment: Lightweight for kids (130 pounds)
- threatened: WBO title vacant
- Pound-for-pound ratings: Not available
- the odds: Navarrete 11½-1 favorite (multi-store average)
- Also on the card: Arnold Barboza vs Jose Pedraza, junior welterweight; Andres Cortes vs Luis Melendez, junior lightweight; Xavier Martinez vs Yohan Vasquez, lightweight
- Guess: Navarrete KO 9
- Story: Navarrete conquered two divisions. Now, the 28-year-old Mexican will take third place. He’ll make his 130-pound debut against Wilson for the vacant WBO belt, which will earn him belts in both featherweight and lightweight simultaneously. He is not ranked by the WBO. He has a chance to compete for the 130-pound belt because he holds the 126-pound belt. The heavyweight boxer is reportedly not expected to make a decision on the weight class he will be competing in long-term until after Friday’s bout. Navarrete hasn’t lost since he was knocked out in his fifth professional bout in 2012. He was last in the ring this past August, when he stopped Eduardo Baez in six rounds. Wilson is taking a significant step forward in opposition. He’s a little-known Aussie who’s only played 12 professional games and has never fought outside of his home country. The WBO No. 3 contender has won two games in a row since he was knocked out in five rounds by Filipino Joe Noynay in July 2021. Wilson is 1.99m tall from the standings.
