Manny Pacquiao Comeback Card Gets Championship Fight

While the main event takes shape, the undercard might receive a massive boost with the expected addition of Sebastian Fundora's WBC junior middleweight title defense against Keith Thurman, creating a potential championship doubleheader for fight fans.

Here is news of the potential fight, per The Ring’s Mike Coppinger:

The planned championship bout between Fundora and Thurman was originally slated to headline its own Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view on Oct. 25. The two even faced off in a press conference, with Thurman humorously climbing a chair to face off against the much taller Fundora:

https://youtube.com/shorts/Ed-pqdMrV4o?si=_ko2Kg9P_WbO9X7s

Unfortunately for them, their fight was abruptly postponed just weeks before the event after Fundora suffered a hand injury during a training session.

With all parties intent on keeping the matchup intact, the search for a new date quickly zeroed in on the already high-profile Pacquiao event in January.

The rescheduled fight presents a compelling stylistic and narrative clash between the current champion, Fundora, and the veteran Thurman.

Sebastian Fundora

Fundora, the reigning WBC super welterweight champion, shocked the boxing world in 2024 when he replaced an injured Keith Thurman on short notice and scored a split-decision upset over Tim Tszyu to win the title. 

The 27-year-old Fundora solidified his reign this past July by brutally stopping Tszyu in a lopsided rematch, demonstrating an aggressive and effective style utilizing his 6’5 frame:

His fight against Thurman will mark his third WBC super welterweight title defense.

Keith Thurman

Former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman is looking to become a two-division champion and reclaim his status among the sport's elite. At 36 years old, his career has been plagued by injuries and significant inactivity, fighting only twice since his lone professional defeat to Manny Pacquiao in 2019. 

Thurman began his campaign at super welterweight with a third-round knockout of Brock Jarvis this past March:

His upcoming bout against Fundora will be his first title fight in over six years. A win over Fundora would help him climb back to the top of the super welterweight rankings. More importantly, a win here could potentially give him the option to have a rematch with Pacquiao, a fight he wants to run back.

“There’s a part of me that would love an opportunity to get back in this arena to fight Manny Pacquiao again for myself, for my record, for the fans,” he said in an interview with Fino Boxing after Pacquiao’s fight against Barrios. “I’m just going to look and see what comes next.”

A Crucial Fight In a Stacked Division

It could be argued that the super welterweight division is the most talent-rich division in boxing currently. With Jaron “Boots” Ennis providing a scintillating performance last weekend on Oct. 11, the division is currently in a state of flux.

The super welterweight champions across different organizations, from boxing’s youngest champion, Xander Zayas, to the interim champions like “Boots” and Vergil Ortiz Jr., are all potential household names vying to be the undisputed champ at 154 lbs. 

Boxing fans, who have been anticipating the Fundora-Thurman clash for months, now have the promise of an even bigger night to look forward to in the new year. Their fight could decide the future of the division and even boxing itself.