3 low-key boxing bouts to pay attention to this weekend

1. Emanuel Navarrete vs. Jose Sanmartin (super bantamweights)

Emanuel Navarrete (24-1, 21 KOs) v.s Jose Sanmartin (26-4-1, 17 KOs) is the main event of beIN Sports Español channel’s boxing card on Saturday, June 2. They are fighting for the interim WBA super bantamweight title.

This championship bout sounds more impressive than it really is. The WBA loves having several different titles at each weight class which dilutes the relevance of their titles. Navarrete and Sanmartin have eye-catching records on paper but they’ve done nothing to earn a title shot.

Navarrete has good size for a super bantamweight. He is 5-foot-7 and has a KO rating of 84 percent. He throws punches designed to knock out his opponents. They aren’t straight or pretty, but he puts his entire body into his punches which makes him exciting to watch.

Navarrete’s main downside is that he’s untested. His biggest victory came over Glenn Porras in January. He knocked out Porras in two, but Porras isn’t an A-level boxer.

Sanmartin has decent power too, but his numbers aren’t as impressive as Navarrete’s. He challenged for a world title in 2015 against Carlos Zambrano but dropped a unanimous decision. He’s never beaten a notable opponent.

Navarrete has the edge over Sanmartin in terms of ability and skill, but anything can happen in a boxing match. Sanmartin has enough punching power to make things interesting against Navarrete.

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If Navarrete beats Sanmartin in impressive fashion, then his stock will rise within the division. Boxrec.com has Navarrete rated as the 10th best super bantamweight in the world. He could move up several spots and become a real player in the division with a decisive victory.