Sebastian Fundora may very well be set to maneuver from Terence Crawford to Errol Spence Jr because the towering tremendous welterweight edges nearer to a landmark battle.
Fundora has been making the boxing world sit up and take discover for years as he stopped Erickson Lubin within the ninth spherical of a Struggle of the Yr contender in 2022, misplaced to Brian Mendoza by knockout the next 12 months, however then rebounded with one other Struggle of the Yr contender in 2024 when he and Tim Tszyu shed blood, sweat, and tears.
Spence even entered the ring in March to tee up a battle towards Fundora.
However Fundora is but to battle since that bloody battle with Tszyu, and has been linked with a mandated battle towards pound-for-pound stalwart Terence Crawford.
Chatting with World Boxing Information at totally different instances by the 12 months, Fundora’s promoter Sampson Lewkowicz mentioned they might honor the WBO mandate, leaving the ball in Crawford’s court docket.
Crawford, although, seems hellbent on a super-fight with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Which means Fundora may revert to different viable challenges because the 154-pound division is bustling with massive names and deep expertise.
We requested Tim Tszyu, who fights for the IBF tremendous welterweight title Saturday towards Bakhram Murtazaliev, whether or not he’d field Fundora after the battle at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. Lewkowicz has a handshake settlement with Tszyu’s folks a couple of rematch, for instance. And contemplating the violence from the primary battle and the disputed end result, a second bout would probably be a straightforward promote.
“I don’t assume [I’d be able to fight him] subsequent,” Tszyu informed us. “As a result of there’s discussions with him and Errol Spence.”
We put this to one in all our sources at Premier Boxing Champions, and requested that supply if Spence was certainly the battle for Fundora.
“That’s what they wish to do,” the supply informed WBN.
“Spence is in search of a giant battle,” the supply added. “And in the event that they held it in Texas, then a battle between Spence and Fundora can be massive.”
Spence hasn’t boxed since struggling the primary lack of his professional profession in 2023 when he got here unstuck towards Crawford, who returned an all-time nice efficiency at T-Cellular Enviornment in Las Vegas.
His bounce-back battle would under no circumstances be a gimme as Fundora, at 6-foot-6, presents distinctive bodily challenges for everyone on the weight, and he’s constructing a powerful physique of labor as a headliner on the massive stage.
So far as timeframe goes for a potential Fundora vs Spence bout, it seems organizers are “positively” taking a look at “the primary quarter of 2025,” probably March, the supply completed.
Alan Dawson is World Boxing Information Lead Author, a 2 x Sports activities Journalist of the Yr finalist, and 5 x BWAA awards winner. Observe Alan @AlanDawsonSport.
