WORLD champion Emanuel Navarrete is set to have his win over Charly Suarez changed to a no-contest after a rare use of video replay.
Mexican Navarrete was defending his WBO super-featherweight title in San Diego when he was cut above his left eyebrow in round six.
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By the eighth, ringside physician Dr. Robert Ruelaz ruled the fight needed to be stopped with Navarrete’s vision impaired.
Per the rules of boxing, if a cut is caused by a punch and the bout is stopped it results in a TKO.
But, if deemed to have been caused by a headbutt then the fight goes to the judges scorecards at the time of the stoppage.
In this case, Navarrete led on the cards and was awarded a technical decision – retaining his 130lb title.
Video replay was used on the night and official Jack Reiss said there was no conclusive evidence to deem that a punch caused the cut.
Footage revealed a swiping left hook landing on Navarrete before the two came together shortly afterwards – making it unclear where the cut was caused.
But, in a subsequent review days after the bout, the California State Athletic Commission now look set to overturn the result, BoxingScene report.
It marks a rare occasion when a fight is overturned using replays in the days following the bout.
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Had the punch been deemed to have caused the cut on the night of the fight it would have crowned Suarez as the new champ.
But, if Navarrete’s win is indeed overturned then he will still retain the title with a rematch expected to be called.
He said after the fight: “I felt it was a headbutt. I saw the review. It seems like a punch, but it exploded two layers of skin.
“I didn’t want it to end. I was fine to keep going. I felt like the best rounds were still to come. But the doctor stopped the fight.
“He would be a great opponent. He is a great opponent. So a rematch would be good.”
Suarez added: “I thought I had a chance to win the fight. I had five more rounds to try to win.”
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