The WBO super bantamweight title is on the line this weekend as part of the Lomachenko vs Pedraza card at the Hulu Theater in New York this Saturday. Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe is making his second title defense as he stands toe to toe with Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete. The champion, Dogboe, is a -800 favorite with the challenger, Navarrete, coming back at +500.
Isaac Dogboe vs Emanuel Navarrete
Dogboe (-800) is an extremely calm and patient fighter who is great at picking his spots with thunderous punches for his super bantamweight frame. The Ghana native likes to work the body early and often, constantly dipping down and ripping the body, and his accuracy is such that he frequently can get around his opponent’s guard to land his shots. The orthodox fighter has a perfect 20-0 record with 14 wins coming by knockout, including each of his last five fights ending that way. In his first title defense, he finished Hidenori Otake in the first round, knocking him down twice and seeking a third before the ref stepped in. Royal Storm does a tremendous job moving from the body to quickly attacking the head with clean right hands that leave his opponents dazed.
Navarrete (+500) is a very tall fighter for the division and uses his jab well to keep his opponents off him. He is ranked the No. 2 fighter in the super bantamweight division and is fighting for the first time on American soil. The 23-year-old has a 25-1 record with 22 wins coming via knockout and his lone loss coming in 2012 when he was 17 years old. The orthodox fighter can put together decent combinations but can be a little wild with his striking. This was on full display in the later rounds in his last fight vs Jose Sanmartin and those wild exchanges did lead to him earning a knockout in the 12th round. Sometimes, Navarrete leaves his jab out too long and doesn’t follow it up immediately with another punch, which leaves him susceptible to being countered, which could be an issue with the lightning-quick hands Dogboe possesses.
Dogboe is a better boxer than Navarrete, even though he may not have the elite punching power that Vaquero has. Royal Storm’s movement and constant work to the body of his opponents leaves them tired in later rounds, enabling him to capitalize. In Navarrete’s last fight, he took off a couple of rounds in the late-middle stages of the fight and curled up into a defensive ball. The patience that Dogboe has in those situations is impressive and I expect him to damage the body heavily if Navarrete has a similar game plan.
Prediction: Isaac Dogboe (-800) via knockout
| Boxer | Odds |
|---|---|
| Isaac Dogboe | -800 |
| Emanuel Navarrete | +500 |
Odds as of December 6 at Sportsbook
