Australian boxing great Jeff Fenech is backing Liam Wilson to score a shock knockout in Saturday’s hyped WBO super featherweight title bout – but only if the rising star heeds one crucial piece of advice.
Despite being ranked among the hottest properties in Australian boxing, 26-year-old Wilson will walk to the ring a huge betting underdog in his world championship bout against Mexican superstar Emanuel Navarrete in Glendale, Arizona.
Currently, Wilson is an $8.50 TAB outsider against two-division championship Navarette, who already on a tear stretching 10 years and 30 straight fights is now looking to move up again and reign over a third weight class.
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As a result, Sportsbet also has Caboolture product Wilson paying $14 for a knockout win and $18 to earn the belt via decision.
Yet speaking with Fox Sports Australia from inside his fight camp this week, Wilson revealed he was ready to give Navarrete the first KO loss of his stellar career, with the Queenslander warning he hits “f***ing hard”.
Better, Fenech agrees — seeing nothing but dollar signs on the Aussie boasting that now famed ‘Left Hook From Hell’ as his signature.
“Oh, I think the bookies are making a huge mistake with this one,” says the Aussie fight great with titles across four weight divisions.
“I’m actually shocked by the odds.
“And I honestly believe there’s a heap of money to be made on Liam Wilson this weekend. Because not only do I think he becomes Australia’s newest world champion, but he gets there by knockout.”
Which is no small claim, right?
“Obviously Navarrete is a great fighter,” Fenech continues.
“But so is Liam.
“He’s actually one of the best young talents I’ve seen come out of Australian boxing in a long, long time.
“A guy who, I believe, is right up there with Tim Tszyu.
“Mightn’t have the same profile just yet.
“But Liam’s left hook, it’s as good as any I’ve ever seen.
“And with Navarrete now coming up to his third weight division against such a big, strong guy … mate, when Liam hits Navarrete to the body, I can tell you the bloke’s never going to have been hit like it before.
“And that’s why I’m confident Australia has another new world champion this weekend.”
Importantly, so does the man himself, who is convinced he has the power to give Navarrete the first KO loss of his professional career.
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“Because I’ve already dropped a few other opponents who had also never been knocked out before,” Wilson says. “So now Navarrete can be added to that list.
“I’m coming to win and I’m coming to knock him out.
“I know I’ll be fighting in a hostile territory, fighting in an arena where there is going to be heap of Mexicans fans.
“But on my mind will be only two things.
“One, to box.
“And the other, when I do box to hit f…ing hard.”
Apart from being a huge Wilson fan, Fenech has also developed a strong relationship with the Queenslander and will, at some stage during fight week, reach out to offer both his best wishes and, importantly, what he insists will be a crucial piece of advice.
“And look, I don’t want to interfere,” Fenech stressed. “But I believe with the right advice Liam is unbeatable in this fight.
“Wins comfortably.
“So what I’ll tell him is ‘get into position to punch, don’t punch from a distance’.
“Because if he can get into position, his body punches, his hook, they’re short punches.
“But from a distance, that’s where Navarrete is dangerous.”
Watch Australia’s own Liam Wilson take his shot at the WBO super-featherweight title against Emanuel Navarrete Live and Free Feb 4 on Kayo Freebies. Join now and start streaming instantly >
Quizzed on why he thought the bookmakers had it so wrong, Fenech suggested there was a continuing tendency to dismiss Australia’s younger fighters like Wilson and Jai Opetaia – another betting underdog who won his IBF world cruiserweight title this year with a jaw broken in two places.
“And when nobody gave Jai Opetaia a chance, I also said he’d win,” recalls Fenech, who also predicted two years ago that Wilson would become a Main Event headliner and, before his last bout, said he could “fight for a world title right now”.
All of which has come true.
“I’ve just seen the potential in Liam Wilson for a long time now,” Fenech continued. “Know how good the bloke is when it comes to fighting.
“That’s why I don’t think it will be such a great upset on Saturday when he wins.
“I already know Liam Wilson is special.”