Amateur experience of Suarez a factor in fight vs Navarrete, says analyst

Veteran boxing analyst Atty. Ed Tolentino is taking his chances with Charly Suarez when the latter takes on the WBO world super featherweight champion Emmanuel Navarrete on Sunday (PH time) at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, USA.

Though an underdog and with fewer professional fights under his belt, Tolentino believes that Suarez' amateur experience would play a factor in his first world title fight at 36 years old.

"Charly Suarez, according to oddsmakers, only has a 20% chance of beating Navarrete, but I will take that. Twenty percent is still a chance in my opinion," Tolentino said in an interview on Sparring Sessions LIVE.

"He has been molded in the amateurs. He is, in a way, primed for a guy like Navarrete. It's a very tough job. I'm rooting for Suarez to win this fight by decision, even a late round stoppage, I will not be surprised."

On top of his amateur experience, Tolentino stressed that Suarez also has the style and skills to pull off the upset.

"I think Charly Suarez can pull it off. The style is there, [and] the mental fortitude is there. It is going to be a Herculean climb, but that's what makes boxing so beautiful in my opinion," Tolentino added.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News