Mexican WBO super featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete has been bestowed with the status of WBO “super champion”, just weeks after Teofimo Lopez was also granted this status. This now means that Navarrete will retain special privileges as a champion, including the possibility of immediately challenging for a (WBO) world title in whichever division he chooses to participate.
The WBO has decided to grant Emanuel Navarrete (38-1, 31 KO’s) this status after it was put to a vote by the WBO Championship Committee, whose duties revolve around decisions on matters like this.
Navarrete, 28, is currently a WBO super featherweight champion and is scheduled to defend his title — which he won earlier this year in February — against former world title challenger Robson Conceicao (17-2, 8 KO’s) on the 16th of November.
Navarrete is very familiar with the WBO, having first become a world champion when he defeated then-incumbent WBO bantamweight champion Isaac Dogboe (24-3, 15 KO’s) to claim the title for himself. He has since then gradually moved up to win a WBO title at every subsequent weight class he participated in, from super bantamweight up to his current division of super featherweight.
Given his long-standing relationship with the WBO, his world title victories in at least four weight classes and his performances in the ring, the majority of the WBO’s Championship Committee have approved of his ascension to this status.
As the WBO ‘super champion’, he now has access to a number of perks revolving around him being able to extend his mandatory title defenses, receive immediate title opportunities if he loses his title, and move up or down weight classes to become the mandatory WBO challenger in that division — if not fighting for a vacant title.
As is usual with WBO ‘super champions’, this status can be retained throughout Navarrete’s career unless he significantly violates the rules that would lead to the loss of this privilege.
This news comes shortly after American WBO super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez (19-1, 13 KO’s) was designated a ‘super champion’ himself, which demonstrates the WBO’s strong commitment to fighters with whom they have a longstanding relationship, and who deserve such distinctions based on merit.
While Navarrete will undoubtedly prepare himself against Conceicao, opportunities will be awaiting for him at 135 lbs where he can potentially challenge the lightweight’s unified champion Devin Haney (30-0, 15 KO’s) as the mandatory challenger. Though still rumored to fight at 140 lbs, Haney’s is currently still the lightweight division’s WBA, WBO and IBF champion and Navarrete can find oportunities lurking at 135 lbs for a world title fight that includes at least three world titles.
If Haney, at some point, vacates his WBO title, Navarrete will then be in the perfect position to fight for the vacant belt against another worthy contender.
