Last week, the WBO conducted a purse bid for its vacant featherweight title. The two boxers slotted to compete for the belt vacated by Shakur Stevenson were both former 122-pound title holders, Jessie Magdaleno and Emanuel Navarrete. Both have done plenty of business with Top Rank, so it was no surprise when Top Rank won the purse bid. The winning bid was $250,000, to be divided among the two boxers. It looked like the fight was a go, but Magdaleno and his manager Frank Espinoza are apparently resisting. Under WBO rules, Magdaleno had five days to sign a bout agreement consistent with the purse bid. Magdaleno has thus far refused to do so, so yesterday, the WBO gave Magdaleno 24 hours to confirm in writing whether he will fight Navarrete for the vacant title. If Magdaleno doesn't take the fight, WBO rules call for Navarrete to fight Ruben Villa, the next highest WBO contender, to fill the vacancy.

 

Navarrete (31-1) held the WBO super bantamweight title from 2018 to 2020, but like Stevenson, he vacated in the post-coronavirus era in order to move up in weight. Magdaleno (28-1) was one of Navarrete's predecessors as WBO 122-pound champion. Magdaleno defeated Nonito Donaire for the title in 2016 and turned it over to Isaac Dogboe in 2018. Navarrete then beat Dogboe.