Referee Faces Ban After Emanuel Navarrete Controversy, Confirms California Commission Head

This past Saturday night, WBO super featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete faced off against 36-year-old Charly Suarez from the Philippines at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego. The bout quickly emerged as a strong contender for Fight of the Year—until it came to an abrupt halt due to a gruesome gash that impaired Navarrete’s vision.

Navarrete took an early lead on the scorecards, using his physical advantages to control the opening rounds. His unorthodox style and strange footwork allowed him to generate surprising power, throwing heavy shots from awkward angles. However, as the fight progressed, the momentum began to shift.

Suarez steadily worked his way back into the contest and looked poised to mount a serious comeback, had the bout not been cut short by the injury at the beginning of round 8. Ringside officials were initially unable to determine whether the cut resulted from a headbutt, but multiple replays suggested it was caused by a clean punch rather than a clash of heads.

Since Navarrete was leading at the time of the stoppage, the fight was awarded to him via technical decision. Early reports indicated that the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) deemed the video evidence inconclusive. However, later updates revealed that the commission had begun reviewing new footage post-fight, and the official result could potentially be overturned.

As of now, there’s no confirmation on whether the decision will be changed. However, CSAC Executive Director Andy Foster appeared to take swift action against referee Edward Collantes, stating on X: “Edward Collantes will not be refereeing a high profile boxing match in the foreseeable future.”

We have changes our minds about Ed Collantes. He is a fine referee and we look forward to having him referee again soon. In fact, this weekend.

— Andy Foster (@AndyFosterCSAC) May 13, 2025

Oddly enough, just hours later, Foster walked back his statement: “We have changes our minds about Ed Collantes. He is a fine referee and we look forward to having him referee again soon. In fact, this weekend,” he replied to his own tweet.

This is a developing story—stay tuned for more updates.

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