Navarrete faces wild, bloody fight to stay champion; Muratalla has easier path

A ringside physician called the bout after Emanuel Navarrete suffered a controversial headbutt during the fight Photo by Chris Stone Times of San Diego Two champions took different paths to supremacy on Saturday at Pechanga Arena From the opening bell in the main event WBO Super Featherweight world champion Emanuel Vaquero Navarrete and veteran Charly Suarez of the Philippines let their hands go in a wild all-action fight It ended in dramatic fashion with Navarrete of Mexico - - KOs defending his title by technical decision over Suarez - KOs after the champion suffered a wicked cut over his left eye forcing the fight to be stopped on the advice of the ringside physician one second into the eighth round The scores were - - and - Navarette s awkward swinging punches and uncommon angles don t work for any other fighter but him Fans don t mind the lack of conventional boxing skills because the champion s risky approach makes for exciting action Both men let loose wild swinging punches with Navarrete catching Suarez coming in and evading specific but not all of the returning fire Regardless of ending these two gave it their all TwistedTea NavarreteSuarez pic twitter com kUSJ x IB Top Rank Boxing trboxing May The -year-old Suarez would not squander his chance to defeat the champion With his corner gang telling him to catch Navarrete coming in he detected success landing his right hook Fans wildly cheered on Navarrete with chants of Mexico Mexico and Vaquero but the turn of events in the sixth round silenced them Just seconds into the round Navarrete suffered a wicked cut over his left eye with blood gushing down his face Referee Edward Collantes ruled the cut was caused by an accidental headbutt The fight continued for two more rounds Navarrete struggled to keep the blood out of his eyes wiping it away with his gloves between punches It was a valiant effort but no one could argue about the decision to stop the fight However a disagreement over the cause of the cut delayed the outcome The California State Athletic Commission uses replay and functionaries looked at replays multiple times A punch by Suarez at once preceded the headbutt Which one was responsible for the cut Because the replay was inconclusive the referee s original ruling prevailed and the scorecards were tallied to determine the winner Raymond Muratalla won the Interim IBF World Lightweight Title at the Pechanga Arena Photo by Chris Stone Times of San Diego Navarrete explained he had no doubt what caused the cut From the first moment of the impact I knew it was a headbutt It split my eyebrow It was a headbutt insisted Navarrete Suarez felt the cut came from a punch thrown after he switched to a southpaw stance which also led to the headbutt But he accepted the product calling it part of the contest It is an honor to see him like that he is such a fighter I am proud of myself with my organization disclosed Saurez Thanking his fans in the Philippines Suarez mentioned he would like a rematch to prove who is best I have a big hope in myself I can make this fight again Navarrete disclosed he owed his loyal fans in San Diego his very best effort especially after his loss in San Diego one year ago Honestly I feel I was in debt to the fans in San Diego I am very committed to you Thank you for your advocacy in my entire career and sharing these significant moments Muratalla s measured path to achievement Undefeated Southern California favorite Raymond Muratalla of Fontana - KOs entered Pechanga to a wall of noise from the enthusiastic fans who came to see him face Zaur Abdullaev of Russia - KOs with the vacant IBF interim lightweight world title at stake in the co-main event Muratalla took control and won the title with a lopsided decision in his favor Scores were - - and - Raymond Muratalla has won the IBF 'interim' lightweight belt Could IBF champion Vasiliy Lomachenko be next pic twitter com SHci s Nhe Ring Magazine ringmagazine May It feels great man It feels great to ultimately have this around my waist commented Muratalla I couldn t do it without my company He noted he was aware Abdullaev was a tough fighter with a solid amateur pedigree He came to fight I knew that I used my skills and picked him apart Muratalla was sufferer through the first limited rounds with the crowd cheering every solid power punch landed The pair picked up the pace by the fourth round Muratalla had success with body punching and uppercut combinations as he closed the distance with Abdullaev Abdullaev responded with a snapping jab to keep Muratalla back Muratalla played it smart as he was well ahead on the scorecards and did not need to put himself at any jeopardy of losing the fight by being careless Abdullaev knew he was well behind and had nothing to lose He has two th round knockout wins on his record Muratalla sensing fans were restless as he cruised to a conquest was willing to contract to entertain them but he was also defensively responsible and didn t throw away the fight According to CompuBox statistics Muratalla landed of total punches thrown against of punches landed by his opponent Muratalla also landed body punches He revealed he was pleased with his improved defense Thanks to my company my defense is something we re working on a lot Muratalla won an interim title Saturday The IBF World Lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko of Ukraine has been idle and it s not known whether the accomplished veteran will return to boxing or retire Lomachenko faces an Oct deadline to decide If he returns Muratalla is his mandatory challenger and he wants his shot I m the mandatory for him That s what I m looking forward to adding that he would love to add Lomachenko s name to his resume If it doesn t go through I ll fight who I need to fight I m coming to win I don t play boxing This is what I do I m serious about this and I want all the belts announced Muratalla For more boxing from Pechanga Arena see San Diegan Giovani Santillan feels hometown power in unanimous decision