If you love Mexican boxing and all-out ring wars, don’t miss this Saturday’s fascinating derby between Emanuel Navarrete and Eduardo Nunez, a bout that will unify the WBO and IBF super featherweight world titles. The fight, which will serve as the main event of the card promoted at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, by Matchroom Boxing, will be broadcast live on DAZN.
Emanuel Navarrete and his love for pressure
There are fighters who can fully express their potential only when they move forward, apply pressure, cut off the ring, and suffocate their opponent. If, for some reason, they are forced to move backward, wait, and manage the tempo, they look like fish out of water—confused, awkward, sometimes even unrecognizable. Navarrete fully belongs to that category.
The Mexican has often appeared unstoppable when opponents have given him the time and space to unleash his impressive punch output. What makes his pressure so dangerous is not only his extremely high work rate, but also his ability to throw punches from strange, unpredictable angles. However, Navarrete has proven far less effective when countering opponents’ attacks: “Vaquero” does not possess blazing hand speed, and when pressured he tends to cover up as best he can before restarting his offense.
Eduardo Nunez: a war machine in search of a Plan B
Nunez carries his warrior spirit in his DNA. The fighter from Los Mochis has extremely heavy hands, and the power of his punches—already devastating on their own—is further amplified by his tendency to load up with maximum force whenever possible. Most of his opponents are forced to retreat around the ring in a desperate attempt to escape his aggression and limit the damage of his blows.
However, the dynamics of his last fight were somewhat different. Against the solid American fighter Christopher Diaz-Velez, Nunez, while clearly winning on points and scoring two knockdowns, appeared less relentless than usual. Credit may go to his opponent, of course, but the impression is that the Mexican fighter’s team suggested an alternative approach to provide him with a Plan B—one that could prove crucial in high-level fights where intelligence and ring management may matter as much as raw strength.
What will happen? Boxe Punch’s prediction
While having an alternative strategy is extremely important in boxing, if I were part of Eduardo Nunez’s team for this crucial fight, I would advise him to simply be himself and avoid changing his nature too much.
Attacking relentlessly, without pause, bringing the fight from the first bell to the last—as he has done so many times in his career—would allow him to expose the weaknesses in Navarrete’s game highlighted earlier in this article.
Such a strategy would naturally be exhausting, but it could have the beneficial effect of constantly disrupting the WBO champion’s offensive rhythm, preventing him from settling into his comfort zone and dictating the pace of the fight.
Navarrete’s two main advantages in this matchup are unpredictability and experience. “Vaquero” is an unconventional fighter with awkward but tremendously effective movements, capable of landing punches that stun you before you even realize where they came from. He has also competed in a far greater number of high-level bouts than Nunez, facing a wider range of tactical scenarios.
On the other hand, the IBF champion can rely on greater freshness. Nunez is not only three years younger than his opponent, but he has also fought less than half the number of professional rounds, meaning his body has absorbed significantly less wear and tear.
Personally, watching Navarrete’s last fight against Filipino contender Charly Suarez, I had the impression that “Vaquero” may be starting to pay the price for the many wars he has endured throughout his career. He appeared less sharp, less reactive, and less overwhelming than in his prime. I believe that this slight decline could prove decisive on Saturday and tilt the balance in favor of his rival.
I expect a spectacular and thrilling fight, marked by momentum swings for both fighters, with Nunez edging ahead at the finish line.
My prediction is a narrow points victory for Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez.