(ESPN Press) – Top Rank Boxing on ESPN presented by AutoZone: Navarrete vs. Wilson will be live this Friday, February 3 at 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+. The event takes place at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
The main event features Mexican star Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and Australian contender Liam Wilson fighting for the vacant WBO junior lightweight world title. Navarrete (36-1, 30 KOs) is one of the sport’s premier offensive fighters and is looking to become a three-division world champion as he battles Wilson (11-1, 7 KOs) the No. 3 junior lightweight contender. Wilson has never fought outside his home country but is coming to the U.S. in hopes of a major upset.
In the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, Arnold Barboza, Jr. (27-0, 10 KOs) hopes to earn a career-best victory against Jose “Sniper” Pedraza (29-4-1, 14 KOs), a former two-weight world champion.
In a six-round heavyweight special feature, Richard Torrez Jr. (4-0, 4 KOs), who captured a silver medal for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics, will battle James Bryant (6-2, 4 KOs).
The undercard action includes many of Top Rank’s burgeoning talents such as Andres “Savage” Cortes (18-0, 10 KOs) taking on Puerto Rican knockout puncher Luis Melendez (17-2, 13 KOs) in a junior lightweight tilt, and undefeated middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh (7-0, 5 KOs), grandson of Muhammad Ali, taking on Eduardo Ayala (9-2-1, 3 KOs) in a six-rounder. In a four-round lightweight attraction, Emiliano Fernando Vargas (2-0, 2 KOs), son of former junior middleweight champion Fernando Vargas, will face Francisco Duque (1-1).
ESPN’s Joe Tessitore will call the action ringside with Hall of Famers Andre Ward and Timothy Bradley, Jr. as analysts; Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna will serve as reporters.
Fight Card
Junior Lightweight Championship – Emanuel Navarrete vs. Liam Wilson (Vacant WBO title)
Junior Welterweight – Arnold Barboza Jr vs. Jose Pedraza
Heavyweight – Richard Torrez Jr vs. James Bryant
Junior Lightweight – Andres Cortes vs. Luis Melendez
Middleweight – Nico Ali Walsh vs. Eduardo Ayala
Junior Welterweight – Lindolfo Delgado vs. Clarence Booth
Lightweight – Emiliano Vargas vs. Francisco Duque
Watch Top Rank Presents: WBO Junior Lightweight Championship Emanuel Navarrete vs. Liam Wilson
LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ on Friday, February 3, 2023 at 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT
Arnold Barboza Jr. vs. Jose Pedraza in Junior Welterweight Co-Feature and Richard Torrez Jr. vs. James Bryant in Special Heavyweight Feature
Undercard Streams Live and Exclusively on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET/ 3:30 p.m. PT
ESPN+ Available on ESPN.com and ESPN App for Mobile and Connected TV Devices
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