Former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson has spoken out against what he described as a “blatantly unfair” outcome in the WBO world junior lightweight title fight between Filipino boxer Charly Suarez and reigning champion Emanuel Navarrete.
The bout, held on May 11 at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, ended in the eighth round after Navarrete sustained a deep cut above his left eye. Referee Edward Collantes ruled the injury as caused by an accidental headbutt, leading to a technical decision win for the Mexican fighter. Judges scored the bout 78-75, 77-76, and 77-76, all in Navarrete’s favor.
But for Singson—Suarez’s manager—the call was nothing short of “daylight robbery.”
“The whole world saw there was no headbutt,” Singson said in Filipino during a press conference held with Suarez and his team. “But the referee said otherwise, and that ruined Charly’s chance of winning. They were the ones who got hurt, yet Charly was the one penalized.”
Had the cut been ruled as the result of a punch, Suarez would have been declared the winner by technical knockout (TKO), drastically altering the outcome—and potentially the trajectory—of his career.
Singson didn’t mince words as he accused Top Rank Promotions, who handles Navarrete, of protecting their champion at the Filipino’s expense.
“Before the decision was even announced, we filed a protest with the California State Athletic Commission and the WBO,” he said. “Top Rank made it clear—they were protecting Navarrete. They didn’t want him to take a loss, so they ruled it in his favor.”
Suarez’s camp is currently awaiting the result of their formal appeal. The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) is expected to rule on the protest by June 2. According to Singson, they’re hopeful for a reversal or, at the very least, a no-contest ruling. However, he maintains that a TKO win in favor of Suarez would be the most just outcome.
The boxing manager also revealed frustrations over the broader pattern of disadvantages Suarez has faced in his U.S. boxing campaign.
“Even in Charly’s previous fights, they kept changing opponents on short notice—replacing them with taller, more difficult ones to make him lose. It’s been one hurdle after another just to get a title shot,” Singson claimed.
Despite the controversy, Singson said they remain open to fighting in the U.S. again, or even organizing Suarez’s future bouts in the Philippines, depending on how the protest is resolved.
“We’ll wait and see what happens, but we’re ready for anything,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that WBO officials, including President Gustavo Olivieri, are already reviewing the case, with discussions leaning toward ordering an immediate rematch between Suarez and Navarrete.
