Playing hard-to-get

Charly Suarez has received an offer from Top Rank to fight in January 2026 but the Filipino fighter is not biting.

Amid reports that a 28 February all-Mexican showdown for two super-featherweight titles in Arizona is already a done deal, Suarez’s think-tank told DAILY TRIBUNE that an agreement on a step-aside fee remains up in the air.

“We haven’t agreed on anything yet,” Delfin Boholst, Suarez’s chief trainer, said.

Boholst insists that Suarez has to be paid a step-aside fee for allowing World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion Emanuel Navarrete to face International Boxing Federation titleholder Eduardo Nuñez in a unification clash.

“What I am working on is the step-aside fee,” said Boholst, saying there is indeed an offer for a fight early next year.

Boholst didn’t say how much money is being talked about as step-aside although he made it clear that they are not settling for crumbs.

Suarez is pushing hard to get a solid step-aside fee given his stature as the WBO’s mandatory challenger to Navarrete.

The WBO installed him as the mandatory contender after the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) ruled that the Navarrete eight-round technical decision win be reversed to a No-Contest.

Navarrete was earlier declared winner by technical decision when referee Ed Collantes ruled that a clash of heads had opened a cut on the Mexican’s eyebrow.

Suarez protested the outcome and the CSAC investigated the matter and discovered that it was indeed a legal punch — a left — that caused the cut.

Collantes stopped the fight on the advice of the ringside physician and the decision had to go to the scorecards.

At the time of the stoppage, Navarrete led on all three scoresheets.

Boholst said a clearer picture of what’s down the road for Suarez should be known next week.

Suarez, 37, sports an 18-0-1 win-loss-No Contest record with 10 knockouts.