Cheating scandal erupts on eve of world title fight

Drama engulfed the weigh-in ahead of Liam Wilson's WBO super-featherweight title shot, with the Queenslander accusing Mexican opponent Emanuel Navarrete's team of "tampering" with the scales.

Wilson will fight Navarrete for the vacant WBO super-featherweight title in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday AEDT.

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Wilson and his team, including promoters No Limit, were left aghast when the challenger weighed well under the 130lb (59kg) limit, tipping the scales at 126.3 lbs. The favourite Navarrete, meanwhile, was much closer to the limit and came in at 129.2 pounds (58.7kg).

The Aussie team were left bewildered by the result considering Wilson was heavier when he weighed himself on the same scale before the official proceedings began.

Wilson says the fact the Mexican, who has been a champion at super-bantamweight and featherweight and is making his debut in the division, came so close to the weight limit means only one thing in his mind.

"Something happened with the scales," Wilson told Fox Sports.

"I'm sure they've been tampered with.

"I weighed in on the scales 20 minutes prior and I was only just under weight and I went on the official weigh-in and I was four pounds under, magically.

"So in 20 minutes, I lost four pounds.

"I think he's come in overweight and they've tampered with the scales to make it look like he has made it.

"I haven't been that small in the last 10 years.

"There's no way I could lose four pounds in 20 minutes.

"It's unprofessional. It's a shame to see him come here and disrespect the sport."

Wilson,26, is fighting for his maiden world title and goes into the fight as a massive underdog, with the Mexican undefeated in ten years and recording 30 knockouts. Wilson is 11-1 as a professional.

"For me it just shows he's prepared unprofessionally or come in underdone and I'm going to take advantage of that and apply the pressure and break him down."

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