Emanuel Navarrete v Liam Wilson: Mexican star wins WBO super-featherweight title

Navarrete’s record now stands at 37 victories and one defeat

Mexico’s Emanuel Navarrete became a three-weight world champion after beating Liam Wilson in controversial fashion to land the vacant WBO super-featherweight title in Arizona.

WBO featherweight champion Navarrete ended the Australian’s challenge with a ninth-round technical knockout.

But Wilson’s team are to protest after Navarette went down in the fourth.

Navarrete spat out his mouthguard during the count which meant it was 27 seconds before the action resumed.

“I knocked him down in the fourth round, and I believe the count was a bit longer,” said Wilson, 26.

“I thought I won the fight in that sense because I think it was about a 20-second count,” he added, saying he wanted the matter to be reviewed and would “see what happens”.

Navarrete, a former super-bantamweight world champion, made the most of his opportunity – although he was hurt again by huge underdog Wilson in the sixth.

Navarrete took charge in the seventh and eighth rounds and put Wilson on the canvas in the ninth. From there, he launched a sustained attack which led to referee Chris Flores stopping the contest.