There’s an assumption that Sebastian Fundora is fixated on the idea that he’ll fight former three-belt welterweight champion Errol Spence Jnr next, but that’s not true.
First, Fundora wants to consider his own option to become a three-belt junior-middleweight champion.
Fundora promoter Sampson Lewkowicz told BoxingScene that his WBO/WBC 154-pound champion intends to watch Saturday’s IBF junior-middleweight bout in Florida between former WBO champion Tim Tszyu, 24-1 (17 KOs) and new champion Bakhram Murtazaliev, 22-0 (16 KOs), before moving toward a specific target.
Fundora, 26, became champion March 30 by defeating Tszyu by split decision in Las Vegas.
Even though Spence met Fundora in the ring afterward to call him out, Fundora said afterward that he appreciated the effort Tszyu gave in fighting through a ghastly early fight head cut and promised he would fight Tszyu again.
“That is a great possibility, a major possibility,” Lewkowicz said when asked if Tszyu has the opportunity with a Saturday victory to emerge as Fundora’s next foe. “We’re waiting to see how (Tszyu) looks, and we can make it happen. Nothing else is set in stone.
“(Tszyu) would be a great fight. Sebastian will fight anybody, and we promised we would fight (Tszyu).”
Spence, 28-1 (22 KOs) would offer more live-gate and pay-per-view revenue, but at this hour he is not ranked in the WBO top 15, and the WBO lead attorney has said the sanctioning body would strip Fundora of his belt if Spence doesn’t receive approval to enter the top 15.
Spence can petition for that distinction at the WBO convention in Puerto Rico Oct. 31.
Tszyu is the WBO’s No. 1 contender at 154 pounds.
Fundora just waited out a disappointing two-month period during which WBA 154-pound champion Terence Crawford decided not to invoke his WBO right to fight Fundora by the end of the year, allowing Fundora to seek another bout.
While Lewkowicz has said he now expects Fundora to return to the ring in January or February, Tszyu has told reporters he wants to fight again by the end of the year should he emerge victorious and unscathed in Saturday’s Prime Video fight at Caribe Royale Hotel Casino in Orlando, Fla.
Tszyu says he open to a wealth of opponents ranging from Fundora and former undisputed 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo to former title challenger Erickson Lubin and the winner of Fundora-Spence in 2025.
“We have options that not every fighter has,” Fundora promoter Lewkowicz said. “So we will wait and see.”
ADD COMMENT VIEW COMMENTS (8)