Navarrete at Super Bantam and Featherweight, Shades Like Pacquiao of Old? Nah...
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 28 Apr 2021
Some so called boxing pundits are comparing Emanuel Navarrete's rampage then at super bantamweight and now at featherweight to the emergence of Manny Pacquiao in the same divisions in the early 2000s.
I say nah.
Except for their common dominating presence, unpredictable herky jerky style, voluminous punching power and seeming impervious whiskers, there is little by way of major similarities.
First of all, Navarrete is too big and long for both the 122 lbs and 126 lbs divisions. Standing at 5-7 and with a wingspan of 72 inches, longer than he is tall, Vaquero usually looks down on most opponents and has them at the end of his jabs and sweeping hooks and uppercuts. He could put his foe down and out with either hands though his preferred weapon is his right, whether using the hook or the uppercut. Many are saying Navarrete has the built of a lightweight, even a welterweight. Thing is, he can still make the prescribed weight limit at the official weigh in which is usually held more than 48 hours before the actual fight.
Pacquiao actually started at flyweight and outgrew the division once he reached his twenties. Manny actually leapfrogged two divisions to the super bantamweight after his failure to meet the 112 lbs limit resulted to his losing his WBC and lineal world flyweight titles merely a year after he won in 1998.
Manny actually heralded his second coming at 122 when he manhandled the feared South African defending champion Lehlo Lebwaba to win his second world title, the IBF super bantamweight crown in 2001. But his busy route to the world title and his equally hectic title reign were replete with dangerous foes his size or bigger than him like Reynante Jamili, Arnel Barotillo, Nedal Hussein, Lebwaba, Agapito Sanchez, Elicier Julio and Faihprakob Rakkiatgym (the tough Thai which Manny lifted inches from the canvas with his famous left).
Compare that with Navarrete's diet of Isaac Dogboe, Francisco de Vaca, Juan Martin Elorde, Francisco Horta and Jeo Santisima. Is it comparable? You be the judge.
Navarrete promptly moved up to the featherweights when the WBO title became vacant when Shakur Stevenson moved up to 130. Before fighting for his second world crown, Navarrete tuned up by feasting on a certain Uriel Lopez in a bout even declared as a no contest.
Then he faced unbeaten but untested Ruben Villa for the vacant WBO featherweight crown, scoring a couple of knockdowns in pounding out a close but unanimous decision victory.
Vaquero made headlines recently by successfully making his first title defense against Puerto Rican challenger Christopher Pitufo Diaz, decking Diaz four times en route to a hard earned 12th round technical knockout. Diaz, despite having figured in a failed world title fight at super featherweight and a credible fight resume, did not have anything much to offer but his toughness against the Mexican's decided size and reach advantage and bristling two fisted attacks. Ring announcers were proclaiming Navarrete as the real deal at 126 saying no one can beat him in the division and that he may be still a force to be reckoned with at 130, even 135 lbs.
Still viable at 122 lbs., Manny was thrusted to the featherweights when he subbed for Marco Antonio Barrera's original foe in a scheduled world featherweight title defense in Texas. No one gave Pacquiao a chance against the surging Barrera who has evened scores with archrival Erik Morales and had beaten scores of noted 126 pounders in his reign. But enraged by a first round non knockdown scored against him by the referee, Pacquiao proceeded to systematically beat down Barrera from the second round on, forcing Barrera's corner to throw in the towel to save Barrera from very possible knockout loss in the eleventh round.
In his following fight, Pacquiao took on Juan Manuel Marquez, another of Mexico's pride at featherweight surprising Marquez with three knockdowns in the very first round with only the bell saving the Mexican from a humiliating knockout or stoppage loss. To Marquez's credit, he managed to fight on even terms for the remainder of the fight and escaped with a majority draw verdict, only due to erroneous judges scoring.
People calling themselves experts should really sober up before they go on making comparison and statements about Navarrete's potentials, especially in relation to Pacquiao who is among the very few fighters in the last thirty years deserving of all time great consideration.
But I would agree that it will take a fighter with many of the fine qualities of vintage Manny Pacquiao to beat a special fighter like Emanuel Vacquero Navarrete at featherweight--or beyond.
To be sure, Navarrete is not unbeatable. He also has his weaknesses but those are yet to be uncovered and exploited. He can also be hit. Elorde showed that in the early rounds of their fight as well as Villa and Diaz in various segments of their bouts. But he has to be hit hard and more consistently for anybody to have a chance of beating him. And anybody has to get past or brave those long looping hooks and uppercuts to do it. Somebody who could move defensively and offensively like Pacquiao using weird angles to negate Navarrete's reach and distance management and attack him with consistency but unpredictability.
Fighting fire with fire won't do.
Do we have somebody even remotely resembling Manny Pacquiao in fighting prowess to pit against Navarrete?
Could Freddie Roach transform Mark Magsayo into one?
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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