Emanuel Navarrete is a huge breakout star of 2019. He also may be the hardest working man in the sport of boxing. With a record of 29-1, Navarrete holds the WBO super bantamweight title.
Navarrete made a huge splash in December 2018 when he upset the highly regarded, then unbeaten Isaac Dogboe by unanimous decision. Dogboe asked for a rematch, and Navarrete gave it to him 5 months later, confirming that he was the better man by systematically beating him round after round until his corner eventually stopped the fight in the 12th round (arguable 8 or 9 rounds too late).
Navarrete made the second defense of his title versus Francisco De Vaca 3 months later, who he absolutely pummeled for 3 rounds before knocking him out.
4 short weeks later Navarrete made the third defense of his title vs Juan Miguel Elorde on the Tyson Fury vs Otto Wallin card. Again, Navarrete dominated Elorde who barely survived the 3rd round and had absolutely nothing left in the 4th, when the fight was called.
Navarrete has taken almost three months off, so by his standards, he is overdue for a fight. He will make the 4th defense of his title when he faces Francisco Horta on Saturday, December 7. This will be his 5th fight in 12 months.
Francisco Horta is 20-3, and on a 10-fight win streak. Horta hasn’t suffered a loss since 2014 versus Guillermo Rodriguez.
This is another chance for Navarrete to prove that he is the real deal. The fight will air on ESPN+ at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 7:00 p.m. Pacific.
Here was his star-making performance versus Dogboe.