One of the fights of the year between Emanuel Navarrete and O’Shaquie Foster may now be on the horizon.
Navarrete bounced back from an underwhelming no-contest against Charly Suarez to knock out Eduardo Nunez and unify the WBO and IBF super-featherweight world titles in a statement win back in February.
Since then, Navarrete has been in hot pursuit of a showdown with WBC super-featherweight ruler Foster, who had been intending on facing with Shakur Stevenson but seemed to put those plans on ice after the unification opportunity became apparent.
Although, with Suarez being mandated for a rematch with Navarette after their controversial meeting, the situation seemed to be a complicated one.
That has been resolved as the WBO have now confirmed that their Championship Committee have ‘unanimously approved an exception’ that will allow Navarrete and Foster to square off in a three-belt unification scrap, as per WBO President Gustavo Olivieri.
Re: WBO 130 lbs Division
Please be advised that the WBO World Championship Committee has unanimously approved an exception allowing WBO Jr. Lightweight Champion Emanuel Navarrete to pursue the WBO/IBF/WBC Unification Championship against O’Shaquie Foster prior to discharging his…
— Gustavo Olivieri, Esq. (@OlivieriLaw) August 25, 2026
“Re: WBO 130 lbs Division
“Please be advised that the WBO World Championship Committee has unanimously approved an exception allowing WBO Jr. Lightweight Champion Emanuel Navarrete to pursue the WBO/IBF/WBC Unification Championship against O’Shaquie Foster prior to discharging his mandatory obligation.
“As a condition of this approval, the winner must next face the WBO Mandatory Challenger within 180 days following the Unification Championship Contest.
“The Committee’s official ruling, including all applicable terms and conditions, will be published accordingly.”
Following the culmination of Navarrete vs. Foster, the world of boxing would move one step closer to a first undisputed super-featherweight title bout of the four-belt era; which would in turn likely lead to a first undisputed 130lb champion since Hiroshi Kobayashi over half a century ago (1969).
Belfast’s Anthony Cacace holds the WBA super-featherweight world title, which would represent the final hurdle to the crowning of an undisputed ruler, though Cacace will likely need to first face Russia’s Elnur Samedov; who holds the WBA Interim title.
Meanwhile, for the estranged Suarez, the Filipino has been linked to a scrap with the returning Vasyl Lomachenko, who now seems to have a clear path to reaching his career-long goal of becoming an undisputed champion by beating Suarez, the victor of Navarrete vs. Foster and then the winner of Cacace-Samedov.
