O'Shaquie Foster presents a tantalizing detour for Emanuel Navarrete

Emanuel Navarrete has an option before him to take a second consecutive unification bout at junior lightweight by rejecting his mandatory WBO title defense in favor of a date that would likely be more lucrative – against WBC titleholder O’Shaquie Foster.

The opportunity appeals not only to Navarrete and promoter Top Rank, but to Foster as well, the parties told BoxingScene during this past fight week.

Navarrete, now 40-2-1 (33 KOs) scored a convincing 11th-round TKO to take the IBF belt from countryman Eduardo Nunez, now 29-2 (27 KOs), Saturday night at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

“Navarrete dominated from Round 1. He made weight easy, his body looked great, he looked good,” Foster told reporters after watching the fight in person.

Foster, 24-3 (12 KOs), is coming off his own impressive victory, producing a sharp boxing session in routing two-division titleholder Stephen Fulton by unanimous decision in December in San Antonio.

While Navarrete is obligated to defend his WBO belt against Charly Suarez of the Philippines after their controversial bout last year, the Foster fight is more appetizing.

Navarrete defeated Suarez by a narrow technical decision when video replay couldn’t immediately establish if a headbutt or punch caused a fight-stopping cut over Navarrete’s eye in San Diego. Minutes after the victory was declared, a replay emerged showing the cut was caused by a punch, which should’ve made Suarez the new titleholder. Instead, the California State Athletic Commission later overturned the result to a no-contest.

Foster was enthused to learn there’s genuine support for plans for him to meet Navarrete.

“I love that. That’s good. Let’s do it,” Foster said. “My skills, what I do – I’m like nobody he’s ever fought. I never get tired, and it’ll be a long night.

“Navarrete’s got to want the fight. My profile’s been raised. Let’s make it happen.”

Navarrete said he will consider Foster upon resting from this victory.

“We know O’Shaquie Foster was here this week. That would be an interesting thing, to go and completely unify the division,” Navarrete said. “We’ll take things with caution, shuffle the cards and see how this all plays out.”