Liam Wilson’s nook will launch a protest after he was denied an unbelievable underdog boxing world title, overwhelmed by favourite Emanuel Navarrete regardless of flooring the Mexican within the fourth spherical.
Opening an $18 lengthy shot for the vacant WBO tremendous featherweight title, Australian Wilson silenced the partisan crowd in Phoenix’s Desert Diamond Area when he landed a candy left hook and finally despatched the two-division champion to the canvas.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Wilson knocks down Navarrete with a flurry of punches.
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Navarrete survived what Wilson’s nook thought was a protracted rely and was hit once more by Wilson’s ultimate punch of a dominant spherical.
Wilson landed one other candy left hook within the sixth spherical however was then monstered earlier than the struggle was stopped with one minute left within the ninth spherical.
“I knocked him down within the fourth and thought the rely was a bit longer than I believed (it ought to have been),” he mentioned within the ring after the loss.
“I believe it was a couple of 20-second rely. Assessment it and see what occurs there.
“I will be again, make no mistake about it. I like these laborious fights.”
Loads of followers and pundits agreed with Wilson on the prolonged rely.
It was Navarrete’s 32nd consecutive win, relationship again to 2012 and his 11th title struggle, the victory making him the 10th Mexican to win titles in three divisions.
“Liam is a superb warrior; he got here to win, led with that huge shot on me and it stung me,” Navarrete mentioned.
“I used to be capable of get myself up off the canvas and quiet down.”
It was Brisbane product Wilson’s second defeat in solely 13 skilled fights, the world title promise made to his dying father 11 years in the past on ice for now.
Wilson’s path to a world title shot was a winding one, knocked out in 2021 by Joe Noynay, profitable their rematch after which prevailing towards Matias Rueda to ebook a world title eliminator berth.
However he was promoted from that straight into the primary occasion when Mexican star Oscar Valdez was injured, the Australian plucked to struggle Navarrete for the title vacated when champion Shakur Stevenson missed weight and moved up in school.
Initially a significant outsider, he firmed throughout struggle week regardless of a dramatic weigh-in that ended with the Australian’s camp crying foul.
Wilson’s group claimed the scales had been tampered with to permit Navarrete to make weight.
Accusing officers of dishonest, they demanded a gathering with authorities on Friday and finally acquired it simply hours earlier than the struggle.
However with no proof of their accusation, their worries – and demand for Navarrete to be weighed once more – had been waved away and the present went on.
Wilson put that behind him to quieten a hostile 5100-strong crowd and finally earn their respect, the low-profile father of two set to return to Queensland together with his repute vastly enhanced.
– AAP
