'Nowhere to hide' for Emanuel Navarrete, says Charly Suarez's coach as WBO orders rematch

Filipino contender Charly Suarez will finally get another shot at unified International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight champion Emanuel Navarrete.

The WBO has ordered a championship rematch between Suarez and Navarrete through an official statement released on March 11 (March 12, PH time).

“That’s what the WBO ordered. Within 20 days, this should already be settled. Navarrete has nowhere to hide now,” Suarez’s head coach Delfin Boholst told GMA News Online.

Navarrete retained his title against Suarez during their controversial first bout in May 2025. The Mexican champion later went on to defeat Eduardo Nunez in February to unify the WBO and IBF junior lightweight titles.

Despite the delay, Boholst believes the rematch could be a blessing in disguise for Suarez after all.

“This is a big opportunity because now there will be two belts on the line,” Boholst said. “This is what we’ve been waiting for. This will give Charly a chance to prove who the real champion is.”

According to the WBO, both camps have 20 days to reach an agreement for the fight. If no deal is reached, the bout will proceed to a purse bid with a minimum bid set at $150,000 (around ₱8.9 million).

—JMB, GMA Integrated News