Nuñez vs Navarrete: Knuckle Up for a Certified Banger
By Chris Carlson
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 28 Feb 2026
This Saturday night from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, Eduardo Nuñez and Emanuel Navarrete knuckle up in what all but guarantees to be an absolute banger. Eduardo’s resume is not as deep as Navarrete’s, so adding a name like this would do wonders for Nuñez. For Navarrete, defeating a hungry fighter on the rise would propel him into big fight opportunities. The event is promoted by Matchroom Boxing and will stream live on the DAZN app.
The key to Saturday night’s headliners on the Nuñez side begins with getting off to a good start. Eduardo has a habit of starting slow, something that won’t help him in this spot. That’s not to say Nuñez should rush out the gate, throwing caution to the side. Trying to figure out Navarrete from a strategic point of view is difficult due to his awkward fighting style. Nuñez will use his solid jab to set up his power punches. Landing in combination will be important for Nuñez given the sheer volume of punches Emanuel brings to the table. He must not make the mistake of repeatedly trading punches while flat footed standing in front of his opponent.
In all honesty, this boxing podcaster track record on predicting Navarrete’s fights has been lackluster. Much like his unorthodox stance and punch angles, the moment you think you have him figured out he improves a skill minorly enough to get a win. The number of punches along with his ability to change the velocity or angle of a punch while in the process of throwing it is very impressive. The last time Navarrete went the distance, it was a close loss to Denys Berinchyk.
This boxing junkies mind is telling me to pick Nuñez. Emanual seems to be trending downward, losing 2 out of his last 3 distance fights. Eduardo by decision has great value at +136. Even if you pick against Nuñez, hedging him with a money line bet or the decision is the right thing to do. Navarrete is a live dog sitting around +135 upwards of +150 on the money line. By decision Nav is +340 and by KO +390 compared to Nunez by KO +260. All and all here’s hoping boxing fans get a great fight on Saturday.
My Official Prediction is Emanual Navarrete by split-decision.
PODCAST LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rope-a-dope-radio-podcast/id1794655742?i=1000751321954
Written by Chris Carlson Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, I-Heart Radio, The Grueling Truth Sports Network, Amazon Podcasts, Google Podcasts & More! Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio.
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