Mendoza: I’m Definitely Grateful Fundora Took The Fight, But I Do Feel Like It Was A Mistake

Brian Mendoza commended Sebastian Fundora for his willingness to fight him Saturday night.

Fundora definitely could’ve chosen a less dangerous opponent than the man who knocked out Jeison Rosario five months ago and caused the former 154-pound champion to announce his retirement right after suffering that devastating defeat. Fighting Fundora for the WBC interim super welterweight title isn’t an opportunity Mendoza could’ve envisioned before he got that fateful phone call late in October to fight Rosario on about 10 days’ notice.

“He took the fight,” Mendoza told BoxingScene.com regarding Fundora. “I’m definitely grateful for that, you know, because I feel this is my opportunity to become champion. But I do feel like it was a mistake. I feel like that’s something I’m gonna capitalize on.”

The 6-foot-6 Fundora (20-0-1, 13 KOs), of Coachella, California, and Mendoza (21-2, 15 KOs), of Albuquerque, New Mexico, will headline a “Showtime Championship Boxing” tripleheader at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California (10 p.m. ET; 7 p.m. PT). The winner will be the WBC’s mandatory challenger for one of Jermell Charlo’s four 154-pound titles.

The 29-year-old Mendoza figures Fundora and his team took their 12-round bout because they watched footage of his last fight against a southpaw. Left-handed contender Jesus Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) comfortably beat Mendoza on points in their 10-rounder in September 2021 at The Armory in Minneapolis, but Mendoza contends that he is a different fighter from the man Ramos defeated.

“I know how they’re looking at it because there’s not really tape,” Mendoza said. “You know, the only tape they really have to look at me against a southpaw like that is Ramos. And that Brian is dead and gone. So, there’s no real tape. You know, the Rosario fight was a completely different style and I haven’t fought another southpaw like that since I’ve really gotten my strength and conditioning in order, you know, my nutrition, training with Ismael Salas. All my technique and everything is just falling in place, so they really don’t know what to expect.”

Although he was a welterweight 3½ years ago, Mendoza moved up from the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds to the middleweight maximum of 160 for the opportunity to box Rosario (23-4-1, 17 KOs). Mendoza had been training for approximately six months for fights that never materialized, which why was he jumped at the chance to face the former IBF/IBO/WBA 154-pound champion on short notice.

“Fighting at 160 has totally opened the door,” Mendoza said. “After that fight, I was ranked in several organizations in both weight classes. And my team asked me after that, ‘Which one do you prefer?’ And I said, ‘The one that gives me the best opportunity. I don’t care if it’s ’60 or ’54, just the biggest opportunity I can get, that’s what I want.’ And, you know, ’54 was it.”

Mendoza dropped the Dominican Republic’s Rosario once in the second round and again in the fifth round November 5 at The Armory.

A ravaging right uppercut sent Rosario to his gloves and knees 25 seconds into the fifth round. A disoriented Rosario reached his feet, but he fell down again and referee Mark Calo-oy stopped their scheduled 10-rounder.

“I got a call 10 days before [to fight] Rosario,” Mendoza recalled. “I said, ‘Please get me that fight. I’m so ready for this. Get me that fight. One-sixty? That’s fine. Let’s do it.’ I just knew in my heart it would pay off and I have the same feeling for this fight as well.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.