Who’s the subsequent undisputed junior featherweight champion?
Steve KimESPN
Three males can lay declare to the title of “world champion” in boxing’s junior featherweight division. The WBO title belongs to Emanuel Navarrete, who faces Francisco De Vaca on Saturday (10 p.m., ESPN) on the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.
Rey Vargas has been the WBC champion for two-and-a-half years, and Danny Roman turned one in every of a handful of unified champions within the sport with the WBA and IBF belts again in April.
There isn’t any clear No. 1 on this weight class, however the potential of extra readability within the division is on the horizon.
There isn’t any scarcity of challengers, both. There’s longtime standout Guillermo Rigondeaux (ranked No. 1 at 122 by ESPN), in addition to powerful contenders and former champions equivalent to Azat Hovhannisyan, TJ Doheny, Ryosuke Iwasa, Ronny Rios, Carlos Castro, Ryan Burnett and Brandon Figueroa.
There are a plethora of fights to be made, however the largest query that lingers is the golden query that hangs over each division: What are the probabilities of getting an undisputed champion?
Here is a take a look at the instant prospects of every champion on this weight class:
Emanuel Navarrete (27-1, 23 KOs)
The 24-year-old native of Mexico Metropolis burst onto the scene in December, when he upset the streaking Isaac Dogboe for the WBO crown. He proved it was no fluke by stopping Dogboe once more within the 12th spherical of their rematch in Could.
He is a tall, lanky form of fighter who does a superb job of controlling distance and vary whereas letting his arms go liberally. Navarette was just too rangy and busy for Dogboe of their two conferences. After he proved himself to be greater than a one-hit marvel together with his second victory over Dogboe, he signed a co-promotional take care of Prime Rank, alongside Zanfer Promotions.
Navarette is a tricky bodily matchup for anybody within the division due to his stature, his sturdiness and his tendency to remain energetic.
Possibilities of unifying the division: Navarette’s affiliation with Prime Rank implies that his bouts will likely be televised on ESPN platforms. Roman and Vargas are presently on DAZN, complicating issues. However there’s a current precedent for fighters crossing the road for important bouts — the living proof being the current junior welterweight unification showdown between Jose Ramirez and Maurice Hooker, during which a Prime Rank boxer (Ramirez) fought on DAZN and introduced again two belts.
Absolute best unification bout for Navarrete: A conflict towards Roman could be probably the most crowd-pleasing matchup, on condition that Roman has a monitor report of chopping down taller opponents, and he has a strong basic type.
Danny Roman holds two of the 4 world titles at junior featherweight and might be on the precipice of combating for a 3rd, supplied he takes care of enterprise in an upcoming necessary protection towards Murodjon Akhmadaliev. AP Picture/Richard W. Rodriguez
Danny Roman (27-2-1, 10 KOs)
Roman is without doubt one of the most improved fighters within the division in recent times. Till just a few years in the past, the 29-year-old was an unknown boxer from the West Coast, however Roman burst onto the scene by stopping Adam Lopez in 10 rounds on a ShoBox card firstly of 2017, which he parlayed right into a world title shot.
Eight months later, Roman went to Japan and decisively beat Shun Kubo for the WBA strap. From that time on, he has made 4 profitable defenses of that belt whereas performing in locales equivalent to Frisco, Texas, Chicago and Los Angeles. He has put the “world” in world champion. In his most up-to-date bout, he defeated Doheny in an entertaining, back-and-forth affair so as to add the IBF to his assortment.
The one factor Roman lacks is above-average energy, however all the pieces else is in his toolbox. He’s a whole prizefighter who can adapt to only about any type.
Possibilities of unifying the division: Nicely, first issues first. Earlier than Roman may even take into consideration including a 3rd (or fourth) belt, he has a really powerful necessary protection developing on Sept. 13 towards Murodjon Akhmadaliev. Do not be fooled by Akhmadaliev’s inexperience at 6-Zero — this will likely be a tricky out. It is the epitome of a high-risk, low-reward scenario. But when Roman ought to get previous Akhmadaliev, a showdown with Vargas is a really lifelike chance to occur subsequent.
Absolute best unification bout for Roman: There is not a lot that separates Navarrete and Vargas, who’re each unusually tall for this weight class, however Navarrete throws extra punches — and for that alone, we’ll go together with him on this spot.
Rey Vargas is the one undefeated reigning world champion at junior featherweight. EPA/ETIENNE LAURENT
Rey Vargas (34-Zero, 22 KOs)
Vargas is the epitome of a man who’s more practical than he’s thrilling. The 28-year-old Vargas is round 5-foot-11 (taller than many welterweights), and his fights are sometimes awkward and troublesome to look at. He does not get many type factors, however give Vargas this a lot: He has a strong set of victories over the likes of Rios, Gavin McDonnell, Oscar Negrete and Azat Hovhannisyan, and in his most up-to-date bout, he out-pointed Tomoki Kameda on July 13.
Possibilities of unifying the division: As said above, each he and Roman are below the DAZN umbrella, so this battle is simple to make occur from that standpoint.
Absolute best unification bout for Vargas: Vargas hasn’t but confirmed that he might be entertaining in a battle, however on paper, he and Roman make for the most effective mixture of kinds. Actually, this could be extra about Roman, who has confronted fighters of comparable stature, equivalent to McDonnell, Kubo, Moises Flores and Ryo Matsumoto, and handled them properly.