By Adrian Proszenko and Murray Wenzel
A devastated Liam Wilson choked back tears after being “robbed” of a giant world title upset that would have delivered on a promise to his dying father.
The Australian’s team launched a protest after he floored WBO super-featherweight favourite Emanuel Navarrete in the fourth round in Phoenix on Friday night, but then watched for what was claimed to be 27 seconds for the Mexican to regain his composure.
Wilson said he saw Navarrete’s eyes “rolling in their head” after he hit the canvas.
But he admitted a crafty decision from the Mexican to spit out his mouthguard – and a prolonged count – allowed him more time before the 26-year-old underdog came charging at him again.
Wilson stung Navarrete with a right jab to finish the round then clipped the 28-year-old – unbeaten in 32 fights – in the sixth round.
But with a partisan crowd at Desert Diamond Arena roaring him back to life, the two-division champ added a third to his tally when he eventually stopped Wilson with a minute remaining in the ninth round.
Liam Wilson (left) and Emanuel Navarrete exchange punches.Credit:Getty
“He was robbed, definitely, he was robbed,” Wilson’s promoter Matt Rose of No Limit said, explaining that he hopes a “no contest” is called after footage is reviewed.
“Liam should be a world champion. The count was long in that fourth round, everyone knows it was long. Top Rank, their own promoters, said the count was long.
“I hope the [Arizona State Boxing] Commission look at it the way everyone else saw it and they overturn the result to a ‘no contest’ so Liam gets another crack straight away.”
A devastated Wilson struggled to speak through tears in his dressing room after the fight, memories of his late father, Peter, front and centre given he had dedicated his world title crusade to him.
‘Liam is a great warrior; he came to win, led with that big shot on me and it stung me.’
Emanuel Navarrete
“I feel shattered; this has been a dream of mine since I was a kid and I’ve come up short,” he said. “If it’s true that it was 27 seconds, definitely [I was] robbed. That’s robbery.
“But I’m just a fighter; if my hand didn’t get raised, I lost.”
Victory made Navarrete the 10th Mexican to win titles in three divisions.
Emanuel Navarrete celebrates his victory.Credit:Getty
“Liam is a great warrior; he came to win, led with that big shot on me and it stung me,” he said. “I was able to get myself up off the canvas and settle down.”
Wilson, a despised 15-1 outsider who only took the fight at late notice due to an injury to Oscar Valdez, lost no fans during a courageous performance that proved he is world class.
Few athletes have overcome as many hurdles in pursuit of their dreams. Wilson lost his father at the age of 16; there were bouts of doubt and depression after his only loss, which he subsequently avenged, to Joe Noynay; and he broke his hand in his last fight, against Matias Rueda. Even getting to Phoenix was a hassle, having spent nine days in London in the middle of his training camp in order to obtain a visa.
To top it off, on the eve of the bout, Wilson sensationally claimed Navarrete tampered with the scales in order to make the 130-pound (58.97kg) weight limit.
All of those obstacles – coupled with the skill and courage of Navarrete – proved too much.
Navarrete is one of the finest fighters to come out of Mexico. He hadn’t been beaten in more than a decade and entered the ring with a knockout rate of 81 per cent.
However, the size advantage Navarrete enjoyed over previous opponents didn’t exist against Wilson, who is six centimetres taller. After a nerveless first round, Smith returned to the corner. The advice to the underdog: “Do not stand in front of this man.”
Indeed, not only was Wilson prepared to trade bombs but spectacularly landed several. Unfortunately, he failed to ram home his advantage.
Wilson walked straight into a vicious right hand in the ninth that dropped him to the canvas. While he regained his feet and tried to fight on, referee Chris Flores intervened to save Wilson from Navarrete and himself.
However, he proved himself a rising star in a title fight beamed to a huge global television audience.
With AAP
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