ARLINGTON, Texas – Sebastian Fundora felt bad, it seemed, for hammering Habib Ahmed so badly Saturday night.
The 6-feet-6 Fundora battered Ahmed throughout the first round and again in the second round, until Ahmed’s trainer, Herman Caicedo instructed a Texas commission official to stop their one-sided junior middleweight match. Referee Laurence Cole stepped between them to halt their scheduled 12-rounder at 1:30 of the second round on the Errol Spence Jr.-Danny Garcia undercard at AT&T Stadium.
The 22-year-old Fundora, of Coachella, California, improved to 16-0-1 and recorded his 11th knockout. The 30-year-old Ahmed (27-2-1, 18 KOs, 1 NC), of Accra, Ghana, lost by technical knockout for the second time in nine years as a pro.
Ahmed replaced Fundora’s original opponent, Jorge Cota, on about three days’ notice. Mexico’s Cota (30-4, 27 KOs) withdrew because he contracted COVID-19, but Ahmed immediately stepped in because Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions had him on standby, training, in case Cota or Fundora tested positive for the coronavirus.
Ahmed also fought at the junior middleweight limit for the first time in his career Saturday night. Before he weighed in at 152½ pounds Friday, he had not weighed lower than 159½ pounds for a professional fight.
Before Fundora unloaded a barrage of power punches on Ahmed during the second round, Fundora rocked Ahmed with a left hand that knocked him backward, into the ropes, about 20 seconds into their fight. He affected Ahmed with another left that knocked him into the ropes about 1:15 into the opening round.
The 6-foot Ahmed tried to get inside of Fundora’s unusual reach, but Fundora made him pay each time.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.