The second purse bid hearing to be conducted via Zoom managed to outdo its predecessor.
Terms have been settled for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight title bout between Emanuel Navarrete and Jessie Magdaleno. Top Rank—which represents both boxers—claimed the rights to the fight with a $250,000 offer as the lone promoter for a purse bid hearing on Tuesday afternoon, conducted through a Zoom conference call.
With the bid came the expectation for the fight to take place on October 17 or 24, on an ESPN platform from the MGM Grand Conference Center (“The Bubble”) in Las Vegas.
With the fight designated to take place in Magdaleno's home base of Las Vegas, Navarrete—who hails from San Juan Zitlaltepec, Mexico—would be in his right to demand the favorable end, or $150,000 of the total purse amount. Magdanelo would be left with a $100,000 purse for his first title fight in more than two years.
The WBO featherweight belt became available earlier this summer, shortly after Shakur Stevenson (14-0, 8KOs) moved up in weight to claim his first victory as a junior lightweight.
The 2016 Olympic Silver medalist ended his featherweight title reign without making a single defense after having won the belt in a 12-round wipeout of Joet Gonzalez last October.
Navarrete’s last title defense came in February, scoring an 11th round stoppage of Joe Santisima on the undercard of Tyson Fury's 7th round stoppage of Deontay Wilder in their heavyweight championship rematch in Las Vegas. He enters the featherweight title fight versus Magdaleno having scored knockout wins in each of his last six starts.
Magdaleno (28-1, 18KOs) enjoyed a 17-month stay as a WBO 122-pound titlist, starting with an upset points victory over four-division titlist Nonito Donaire November 2016. The Las Vegas native managed a 2nd round stoppage of Brazil's Adeilson Dos Santos in April 2017 for his lone successful title defense.
