Charly Suarez is overdue for title shot

LET us take a trip down memory lane. On May 10, 2025, in San Diego, California, Mexican Emanuel Navarrete successfully defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight title (130 pounds) with an eighth round technical decision victory Filipino mandatory challenger Charly Suarez. The fight was halted at the start of the eighth round after Navarrete was declared unfit to continue because of a cut over his left eyebrow. The referee initially declared that the cut was caused by an accidental headbutt. Ahead on the official scorecards at the time of the abrupt stoppage, Navarrete was declared the winner by technical decision. On June 3, 2025, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) unanimously overturned the result to a No Contest after the video review proved the cut was caused by a punch rather than an accidental head clash. Because the cut was caused by a legal punch, the bout should have been a technical knockout win for Suarez. As a consolation, Suarez’s unbeaten record was restored and he remained the mandatory contender for the WBO junior lightweight title. Shortly after the ruling of the CSAC, the WBO also ordered an immediate rematch between Navarrete and Suarez. Four months later, in October 2025, the WBO ignored its own...