Emanuel Navarrete's Controversial Title Win Overturned, Rematch Ordered Against Charley Suarez

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Johan Alyas Blanco | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 5:38 PM ET

It looks like Emanuel Navarrete and Charley Suarez will have to do it all over again, after a decision was made Monday on the controversial fight.

The California State Athletic Commission voted that Navarrete's win over Suarez has been changed to a No-Contest. The result was originally a technical decision win for Navarrete (39-5-1, 1 NC, 32 KOs), capturing the WBO junior lightweight title.

The fight happened May 10th at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California and was a back-and-forth war, but was stopped at the start of the eighth round after a doctor deemed Navarrete unable to continue after suffering a cut near his left eyebrow.

Referee Edward Collantes originally ruled that a clash of heads caused the cut, however replays showed that the cut was caused by Suarez (18-0, 1 NC, 10 KOs) after he landed a left hand that sliced Navarrete.

Replay found after commission decision. ⁦@trboxing⁩. Deserved rematch to come. pic.twitter.com/PS6EFbfq24
— Carl Moretti (@CarlMoretti) May 11, 2025

As a result of the cut, the fight was stopped and headed to the judges scorecards. The cards read 78-75, 77-76, 77-76, in favorite of Navarrete. Had the referee caught the replay, it would have been a stoppage win for Suarez, crowning him the WBO champion.

The WBO has already ordered an immediate rematch and shared that Top Rank Boxing, who put on the first fight, is already working on making that happen. Let's hope that the second fight is not also plagued with controversy.

This article first appeared on KO on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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