Boxing is on a helluva run.- The sport has delivered a number of excellent world title fights of late.
Boxing is on quite a run as an all-action featherweight world title fight followed Tyson Fury's thrilling win over Deontay Wilder last week and Oleksandr Usyk's masterclass over Anthony Joshua in September.
The latest extraordinary fight at the elite level featured
All three fights had world championships at stake, yet they were all completely different types of contests.
Usyk exhibited his technical artistry to best Britain's Joshua in London, and Fury showed he is a true fighting man - as he's always said - to prevail in a battle that featured five knockdowns in Las Vegas.
But Navarette and Gonzalez combined to throw an astonishing 1,646 punches in a grueling 12-round war at the Pechanga Arena.
Rather than tire in the later rounds, the 126-pound fighters seemed to throw more and more shots as the match wore on.
According to Compubox data sent to Insider, Navarrete (104) and Gonzalez (79) threw fight high punches in the 12th and final round.
Navarrete threw (979) and landed (272) far more shots than Gonzalez (169 shots landed from 667 thrown) and earned a unanimous decision win for his efforts, including scores of 118-110 and 116-112 (x2).
Watch highlights of the fight right here:
-Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 16, 2021
Gonzalez disputed the result. "I thought I had it seven rounds to five, eight rounds to four," the American said in a statement sent to Insider.
"I was really surprised by that score of 118-110, I believe. But it is what it is, and I did my best."
-Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 16, 2021
Mexican 26-year-old Navarrete credited Gonzalez for his ability to dig deep and throw heavy leather.
"Without a doubt, I hurt him, but every single time he came back, and he also hurt me," Navarrete said.
He continued: "It has been an exciting ride so far, and from now on, I want the bigger fights. These are the kind of fights I'm looking for, and without a doubt, I'd beat him in a rematch."
The victory elevated Navarette's pro boxing record to 35 wins (29 knockouts) against one loss.
He is the consensus No.1 boxer in a division featuring Kid Galahad, Mauricio Lara, and Mark Magsayo.
It is unclear who Navarrete will fight next, but considering the wounds he'll be wearing for several days yet, he has earned a well-deserved rest.