What’s Next For Sebastian Fundora?

Sebastian Fundora defeated Chordale Booker to retain his WBC and WBO Junior Middleweight Titles, raising question marks over his next steps. 

Fundora retained his belts in a comfortable fourth-round stoppage following up on his win over Tim Tszyu last year. That extended his record to 22-1-1, making him one of the leading names in the 154-pound division.

“I’ve felt ready this whole time since my last fight. I’ve worked very hard this past year to be ready. Now, I’ve successfully defended my two titles, and the sky’s the limit. I showed the fans that I’m a powerful fighter. I’ve always been a powerful fighter, and I showed it even more tonight,” Fundora said

“We didn’t even bring a southpaw into camp. It was just about catching his footwork. He didn’t want to trade at all, so we just broke him down to the body, and when I hurt him in the third round, it slowed him down a lot,” Fundora added 

Options

He could pursue the fight with Errol Spence Jr., which he had been chasing. After beating Tszyu, Spence jumped into the ring to demand the fight. Despite the speculation, the fight never happened. But the fight gives Spence the chance to become a two-weight world champion. It also allows him to put his Terence Crawford defeat behind him, which was the first of his career when he missed out on becoming undisputed at 147. The fight also allows Fundora to secure a big name on his resume and a career-high payday. 

Alternatively, there is the rematch with Tszyu. The Australian suffered a cut over his hairline early on in the fight, just as he was dominating. Despite the accidental cut, Tszyu’s corner did not stop the fight. The failure to do so meant that Tszyu’s vision was compromised. There is a narrative to run things back if Tszyu gets past his next opponent Joey Spencer. 

Other Fights

Equally, Fundora could face Vergil Ortiz Jr. next. The latter is the mandatory for the WBC belt. Ortiz is coming off a win over Israil Madrimov in his last bout. That extended his record to 23-0, with 21 wins coming by way of knockout. Fundora would be facing a knockout artist, which would be arguably one of his toughest tests.

However, in his post-fight comments, Fundora called out the IBF Junior Middleweight Champion Bakhram Murtazaliev. The latter stopped Tszyu in his last fight to retain his belts. He is a knockout artist with a 23-0 record, with 17 by way of knockout. Fundora also mentioned his WBO mandatory, Xander Zayas, who is also undefeated with a 21-0 record. Fundora has plenty to ponder moving forward. 

Full Card

WBC & WBO super welterweight world titles: Sebastian Fundora defeated Chordale Booker by TKO in Round 4 (2:51).

Super welterweight: Jesus Ramos stopped Guido Emmanuel Schramm by TKO in Round 7 (1:38).

Middleweight: Elijah Garcia edged Terrell Gausha by split decision.

Welterweight: Freudis Rojas beat Maurice Lee by unanimous decision (79-73, 80-72, 80-72).

Junior lightweight: Alberto Mora Garcia defeated Viktor Slavinskyi by unanimous decision (80-72, 80-72, 77-75).

Lightweight: Robert Guerrero stopped Sean Armas by TKO in Round 2.

Junior featherweight: Brayan Gonzalez won against Justin Marquez by TKO in Round 4.

Junior featherweight: Alexis De la Cerda Landin knocked out Sharone Carter in Round 3.

Junior middleweight: Joseph Brown defeated Ezequiel Duran by TKO in Round 6.

Lightweight: Jursly Vargas knocked out Uhlices Avelino-Reyes in Round 4.