Boxing analyst calls sport's rules 'antiquated' following Suarez vs Navarrete controversy

Veteran boxing analyst Atty. Ed Tolentino did not mince words in expressing his disappointment over the result of the world title bout between Emanuel Navarrete and Charly Suarez last Sunday in San Diego, California.

In what was Suarez's first crack at a world title at 36 years old, the bout ended in an anticlimactic manner after the referee waved the fight at the start of round 8 due to a cut that the WBO world super featherweight champion Navarrete absorbed in round 6.

The cut on the forehead, however, was deemed to be from an accidental headbutt by the referee, forcing the bout to go to the scorecards, which resulted in Navarrete escaping with a technical decision win with his belt.

"The evidence is clear; it was a punch from Charly Suarez that caused the cut," Tolentino said in an interview on Sparring Sessions LIVE.

"Yes, there was a headbutt, but there was a punch first. When the glove landed, there was blood from the cut. The problem is that the ruling came first before the review. They did not wait for the video," he continued.

"Boxing is a sport with antiquated guidelines and rules. The videos are there, and yet they still do not know how to decide. I thought it was a legit punch, there was no accidental foul that would have merited a technical decision."

All three judges saw the fight for Navarrete after seven rounds of back-and-forth action. The scorecards were 78-75, 77-76, and 77-76. For Tolentino, there was no need for the scorecards if only the officials made the right call.

"That fight should have been stopped, and Navarrete would have lost by technical knockout. The score was immaterial because he is unfit to continue because there was no accidental foul," Tolentino stressed.

A report said the Calfironia State Athletic Commission could possibly overturn the result of the Suarez-Navarrete match to a no-contest. 

—JKC, GMA Integrated News