Emanuel Navarrete calls Eduardo Baez during his final defense of the WBO featherweight title in August 2022. (Photo by Mikey Williams/ Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
When Emanuel Navarrete seems to be on his game or about to lose, he manages to win.
Will Saturday be another win for Navarrete, which could lead to another world title belt in his collection, or will the risk of facing another tough opponent lead to defeat?
Navarrete will face undefeated Denys Berinchyk at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California. The 12-round bout will be held in three stages Top quality on ESPN telecast (10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT). At stake will be the vacant WBC world lightweight title.
The 29-year-old (38-1-1, 31 knockouts), who lives in San Juan Zitlaltepec, Mexico, is currently ranked No. 1 by The Ring at 130 pounds. Navarrete may have made his final defense of the WBO world junior lightweight title in his last fight on November 16, fighting for a majority decision against Robson Conceicao, a fight in which Navarrete knocked Conceicao down twice.
Moving up in weight to face Berinchyk, Navarrete will face a skilled tactician with a rookie career. Navarrete understands what Berinchyk is capable of, but is confident he can come out victorious.
“Berinchyk can fight in many styles,” Navarrete told The Ring in an interview last week. “He’s an Olympian. He is a very difficult hero to deal with. We spared them and fought fighters like him. We did very well against them. We have a few days left to fight and we are happy with how we have prepared for this fight.
“What he will give us, we will do everything in our power for him to fulfill our game plan. If he wants to stop and trade (in the middle of the ring), we will do the same or the other way around. If he wants to box and use the ring, we will do that too, let him fight in our style.”
According to WBO rules, Navarrete, if he defeats Berinchyk, will have 10 days before deciding whether to retain the WBO lightweight or WBO 130-pound title.
Navarrete will try to win world title belts in four different weight divisions by defeating Berinchyk. It’s a big threat, like his punching power, something he’s relied on at times in previous fights, and his length and reach, may or may not exceed 135 pounds, as he did when he fought at 122, 126 and 130 pounds.
Both Navarrete and Berinchyk are listed at 5’7”.
As of Thursday, Navarrete was a -600 favorite, but Berinchyk made an important test for Navarrete, who admits that Saturday’s fight will be easy.
“We know that these divisions are full of talented fighters,” said Navarrete, who is promoted by Top Rank. “They fight at the top of their game. I think one hand washes the other, by winning the fight against Berinchyk and the title, more fights will come against the other top fighters in the division. There will be great danger in these wars. Why? Because of the level of opposition. So, this is the biggest risk of my career, so far, because many top fights with talent will be on the horizon. A lot of these fighters are in the top 10 in this division right now and that’s a big risk to my career.”
Navarrete has emerged as one of the top fighters in the lower weight division. He accepted all the challenges, as he has faced the top fighters in the division, including Isaac Dogboe (122 pounds), Joet Gonzalez (126 pounds), and Oscar Valdez (130 pounds).
With major wins, Navarrete has shown vulnerability, especially in recent fights. In August 2022, Navarrete knocked out Eduardo Baez, courtesy of a hook to the body in defense of the WBO featherweight world title. At the time of the stop, Baez was booked with two judges’ cards.
There was a clash with Liam Wilson on March 2 last year, where he was knocked down early in the fight, with some saying he benefited from a long count, before coming together late to stop Wilson. Conceicao had his moments in the Navarrete fight, winning trades in every part of the fight.
The 30-year-old Berinchyk may have a physical challenge on Saturday night. Despite recent fights where he has shown moments where he did not win, Navarrete is confident that his mental toughness will allow him to emerge victorious.
“When there is a difficult time in the fight, there is no way out,” said Navarrete. “There may be frustration, fear, or anger. All those things happen and it’s hard to keep up with all that in your head. And yes, there have been hard times that I have faced, but I have a strong and winning mindset.
“I can’t explain it. I think it’s natural to move on. What happens, happens. And what is in front of me, I have been doing my best to win in every way, which has allowed me to come out on top, including my preparation, which is always 100 percent. I say I came out victorious because of all those factors.”
A victory over Berinchyk could put Navarrete in a compelling and unifying fight against WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson. Navarrete is likely to face newly crowned IBF world heavyweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Both Navarrete and Lomachenko are promoted by Top Rank.
Navarrete can try to combine at 135 pounds. It is possible that the lightweight division will be the ceiling or the last weight class that Navarrete competes in before hanging up the gloves for good. Navarrete believes he can still fight at the highest level and win more championship gold.
“I always dreamed that I would become a world champion. Now we are looking at my world title in four different weight divisions. There is nothing in it. It always is. I always work hard and follow through on the goals I set for myself.
“I have always been focused on my work. I want to spend more time with my family. I want to be in a better economic situation. Smart life, too. Those things continue to motivate me to work hard. To continue doing good things, then I think about long-term goals after retiring from sports. I want to live comfortably without economic problems in my adult life and the health of my children.”
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has handled boxing in Southern California and internationally since 2000. Francisco covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. They can be reached at [email protected]
