They are soon to meet in the ring, but Sebastian Fundora and Keith Thurman were never quite on a collision course in the years before.
Thurman, 31-1 (23 KOs), is a former unified welterweight titleholder whose peak years were between 2013 and 2019. But after losing to Manny Pacquiao in 2019, Thurman has only been seen twice since: a decision victory over Mario Barrios in February 2022 and a third-round TKO of Brock Jarvis this past March.
As for Fundora, 23-1-1 (15 KOs), he began to be featured regularly in the 2020s, moving from prospect to contender and ultimately to a unified junior middleweight titleholder at 154lbs. Fundora has since been stripped of the WBO belts, but he’ll be defending the WBC title against Thurman in the main event of an October 25 pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
“Fundora was never really on my radar, but he’s proven himself to be a tough champion with only one loss, just like me,” Thurman, now 36 years old, was quoted as saying in a press release.
Fundora’s lone loss occurred in April 2023. He was ahead on the scorecards after six rounds against Brian Mendoza, only to be dropped for the count in the seventh.
Fundora’s very next fight saw him win those two world titles. And he has Thurman to thank for that opportunity.
Thurman was supposed to challenge Tim Tszyu, then the owner of the WBO title, in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions’ first show with Amazon’s Prime Video in March 2024. Fundora was scheduled to face Serhii Bohachuk for the vacant WBC belt on the undercard.
But then Thurman suffered a training injury. Fundora replaced him in the main event, and the WBC said its belt would be on the line in that match.
Tszyu-Fundora I was a bloody affair. Tszyu fought 10 of the 12 rounds with a badly bleeding gash high on his head that had been opened up by an accidental collision with Fundora’s elbow. Fundora fought through a busted nose and won a split decision.
Fundora and Thurman still seemed to be on separate paths earlier this year.
Fundora had been aiming for a fight with former unified welterweight titleholder Errol Spence. Thurman’s win over Jarvis was in Australia, designed to set up a match with Tszyu in Tszyu’s home country.
Spence still hasn’t returned to the ring, and so Fundora instead beat Chordale Booker in March. Fundora then won his rematch with Tszyu this July in far more dominant fashion, with Tszyu convinced that he’d had enough punishment after seven rounds.
Fundora might not have initially been on Thurman’s radar, but the 27-year-old has since been impossible for Thurman not to notice.
“Every time he steps in the ring he grows, and I know this isn’t an easy fight for anyone in the division,” Thurman said. “But I didn’t come this far to shy away from Everest, or in this case Mt. Fundora. On October 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, I’m climbing that mountain.
“This is how history is made. From childhood, I’ve dreamed of overcoming challenges like this. Call it David vs. Goliath, but remember – I’m Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman. I’m walking straight into the fire, and it’s going to be a fight you don’t want to miss.”
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
