Navarrete vs Berinchyk: Salute to Ukraine, New Title Fight Announced

Special to NY Fights by Luis Monteagudo

A last-minute title change and an emotional tribute to the people of Ukraine highlighted the final pre-fight press conference before Saturday’s Navarrete vs. Berinchyk Top Rank boxing card at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

Undercard fights air on ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the main event and co-main airing on ESPN at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

Although the card is headlined by a world lightweight championship featuring popular Mexican fighter Emanuel Navarrete (38-1-1, 31 KOs), it was his opponent, Ukrainian boxer Denys Berinchyk 18-0, 9 KOs), who stole the show.

Berinchyk Salutes Ukrainian Armed Forces

Denys Berinchyk salutes his Ukrainian countrymen on Thursday. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

When he was introduced, Berinchyk asked the audience to listen to something. He then played an audio recording on his cell phone of air raid sirens. According to his camp, Berinchyk recorded the warnings in his hometown of Kyiv, Ukraine, which has been locked in a brutal war with Russia.

“My country has been living with this song for more than two years, every day,” he said. “Russia takes someone’s life or destroys something, every day, many times a day.”

Berinchyk thanked the Ukrainian armed forces. “Because of them, I was able to come train and come here to fight,” he said.

He asked people and countries all over the world to stand with Ukraine. Berinchyk's remarks earned applause from the audience. Later, Berinchyk and Navarrete clasped hands when they did the traditional stare-down for photographers.

WBO Title Now In Play for Santillan and Norman Jr.

Giovani Santillan and Brian Norman Jr. have new motivation on Saturday night. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Top Rank also announced Thursday that the fight between hometown hero Giovanni Santillan of San Diego (32-0, 17 KOs) and Brian Norman Jr. of Conyers, Georgia (25-0, 19 KOs) will now be for the vacant WBO interim world welterweight world title.

The decision was made because WBO welterweight “Super Champion” Terence Crawford has announced that he will be moving to the junior middleweight division, according to a letter from the WBO to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

Crawford of Omaha, Nebraska (40-0, 30 KOs) is scheduled to fight Israil Madrimov of Uzbekistan (10-0-1, 7 KOs) for the WBO interim junior middleweight title on August 3 in Los Angeles. Crawford's decision allowed the WBO to authorize a title for the Santillan vs. Norman fight.

San Diego's Santillan Ready To Go

Giovani Santillan would be just the second native San Diegan to win a title with a victory on Saturday. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Santillan wanted a championship fight and said he learned about the change Thursday morning. He is ready.

“I’ve been looking forward to something like this happening,” Santillan said. “Ever since my first fight here in San Diego at Pechanga back in 2021, I’ve been saying that I want to bring a world title fight for myself here in San Diego. You know, being born and raised (in San Diego), it’s an honor for this to happen.”

If Santillan wins, he will become only the second San Diego-born world champion in history, following Paul Vaden in 1995.

“I've been training very hard for this. It has been a long camp. I knew about this date. I didn't know who exactly I was going to be fighting, but I've known about this date since back in February. So, I've been in camp since then, sparring hard. I'm as ready as can be for this fight,” added Santillan.

Norman Jr.: “I don't give a damn”

Brian Norman Jr. knows he's not the favorite, and it doesn't intimidate him. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Norman Jr. acknowledged Santillan has the edge at home. “Everything is against me in this fight. But once again, this is where I shine the best. I thrive off of negativity. I love this opportunity. I love this moment. I'm 23 years old. He's pretty much 10 years older than me, so I'm supposed to be the baby in this situation, but best believe, we're coming to throw down.”

“He's number one, plain and simple. You saw what he did to Alexis Rocha to earn his spot, so I have to earn mine. He did his thing. Time for me to do mine.”

Norman Jr. was succinct in his final assessment. “At the end of the day, I’m coming out with the belt, I’m coming out winning,” said Norman Jr. “I don’t give a damn.”

Navarrete vs Berinchyk Undercard: Torrez Jr. Takes On Moore In Step-Up Fight

Richard Torrez Jr. is again the smaller man against opponent Brandon Moore, something he's used to. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Also on the card in San Diego on Saturday, unbeaten heavyweights Richard Torrez Jr. of Tulare, California (9-0, 9 KOs) fights Brandon Moore of Lakeland, Florida (14-0, 8 KOs) in an eight-round bout.

Torrez, the U.S. Olympic silver medalist at heavyweight, is taking a step up against former amateur standout Moore.

“Inside the ring, I'm a different beast,” said the otherwise easygoing Torrez Jr.  “I like to think that my conditioning, tenacity, and the hard effort I put in are going to be something there.

Richard Torrez Jr. is easygoing and ready with a laugh outside the ring, but not on fight night. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

“What my coaches used to say back in the day is that I like to take my opponents to hell and back, and that's what I'm doing in this fight. So, I'm really excited to have a willing and able opponent. I know you. You want to go all out. You're not one of those guys who is going to sit in the ring, so I'm really excited to see how this fight plays out.”

Moore is not intimidated by Torrez Jr.'s hardware or accolades. “It's about that time. A lot of people over here in San Diego don't know who I am. In {Lakeland}, Florida, I run the city over there. A lot of people are excited to see me be put on the big stage so I can put on a show for the people.”