Charly Suarez scores first round KO of Mexican opponent

MANILA, July 21 ------ Charly Suarez preserved his status as the mandatory challenger to WBO super featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete with an impressive win in San Bernardino, California.

Suarez, 37, knocked out Mexico's Manuel Avila in the opening round to capture the WBO International crown. Suarez went all out as soon as the bout started with strong body shots that kept Avila on the defensive.

An aggressive right hand floored the Mexican at the 2:31 mark and forced the referee to stop the fight. It marked a successful comeback for Suarez, who was fighting for the first time since May 2025 -- when a loss to Navarrete was overturned to a no-contest.

Suarez, who represented the Philippines in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, improved to 19-0 as a professional.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com