Emanuel Navarrete comes through to win nine-round thriller but Liam Wilson claims fourth round count was too long | Boxing News

Emanuel Navarrete forced a dramatic stoppage in the ninth round to win a thrilling fight with Liam Wilson and win the vacant WBO super featherweight title.

Australia’s Wilson is a significant underdog against Navarrete, the undefeated Mexican star who has been world champion at super-bantamweight and featherweight.

But it was Wilson who struck first at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday. Facing an all-action opponent, Wilson hurt Navarrete in the fourth round. As the Mexican wobbled back Wilson sustained a flurry and bowled Navarrete off his feet.

Afterwards, Wilson complained about the referee’s count after the fourth-round knockdown had taken too long. “I thought I won the fight in that sense because I think about 20 seconds count. I will go back and see what happens there,” he said after.

Navarrete, 28 years old and in the 38th match of his professional career, used all his experience and an incredible rally.

Back at Wilson, he put together a combination. But the Australian was able to shake him back up in round six when he planted a wide right on Uwang.

It works for the body but continues to weaken Wilson and Navarrete put the opponent down with a very flush at the beginning of the ninth round. They maintained a relentless attack after that to force a dramatic 1-57 win.

“I was made of a lot of work, strength, a lot of heart, and the Mexican spirit that never let me down,” said Navarrete.

“Liam is a warrior. He can hit shots that really surprised me. Obviously, we tried to take things calmly. Luckily, we got our composure back. We went out to rebound. We got back to 100 percent.”

Wilson said: “Tonight, I came up a bit short, and I’m disappointed.”

“But I knocked him out in the fourth round, and I think the count was a bit long. We’ll have to check back and see what people think. But, he’s a real champion.

“I want to come back. I’m a real champion. This is my 12th fight, but there’s no excuse. I love a fight, and I love a challenge. I’ll fight another champion any day of the week. He’s a tough champion. With all due respect to him, he It’s very awkward. But this is boxing, and it happens. All credit to him. I hope he does something good. I’ll be back. Don’t get me wrong.”

Navarrete is now a three-weight world champion.

“The satisfaction of a win like this is huge,” he said.

“I think I need this test to be able to say that my career is more complete. Now that I know that I can hit the canvas and get back up and keep fighting, I’m happier because I know that I can keep going.”

On the undercard Arnold Barboza extended his career undefeated streak to 28-0 when he defeated Jose Pedraza.

He won the super lightweight contest by unanimous decision, 97-93 and 96-94 twice after 10 rounds.

This is a key result for them. A win over former lightweight champion Pedraza he hopes will put him in line for his next major fight at 140lbs.

“I made the fight easy for the first five or six rounds, but I wanted to stay in there and start brawling. Pedraza is a tough guy. Southpaw in the middle of the fight. It’s hard to fight a guy like him who has a lot of experience,” Barboza said. .

“I’ve paid my dues. I want to take the title. I want Regis Prograis, Alberto Puello, or the IBF title winner or the WBO title. If I can’t get it, everyone knows who I want: Teofimo Lopez.”

Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez won his fifth pro fight with a fifth straight stoppage when he stopped James Bryant after landing a punishing punch. Bryant was injured and his corner was pulled out at the end of the first round.

“When you land a punch like that, it’s almost like there’s no glove there. It feels like a solid shot from your knuckles to his head. And that’s when you know you hurt someone,” said Torrez.

“I thought he was in a state of recovery because he still has minutes, but if the fight continues, I will apply pressure. I started the first round a little slower than usual, but I did it on purpose. I wanted to adjust my distance and my jab and my feints. And luckily uppercut that lands and another one comes”.

Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico Ali Walsh won a six-round decision over Phoenix’s Eduardo Ayala.

Ali Walsh said: “He’s a big man, and I want to show that I can muscle inside. Ayala is a favorite of the city. It’s a new experience for me, but it’s important.”