The second act between Sebastian Fundora and Tim Tszyu will feature the same referee from their first meeting.
Veteran official Harvey Dock (New Jersey) was once again assigned to oversee the action in the ring between the abovementionted junior middleweights. Fundora will risk his WBC 154lbs title versus Australia’s Tszyu on July 19 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Their scheduled twelve-round title fight comes nearly 16 months after Fundora, 22-1-1 (14 KOs) edged Tszyu, 25-2 (18 KOs) via split decision. Fundora – a 6’5 ½” junior middleweight from Coachella, California – claimed the WBO and vacant WBC title in their gory affair last March 30 at nearby T-Mobile Arena.
Dock was pressed with the difficult decision to allow action to continue after Tszyu suffered a horrific cut atop his forehead in the second round. The second-generation boxer – who was unbeaten at the time – elected to continue, even after Dock and the ringside physician repeatedly checked in on his physical ability to fight through the blood.
The officiating performance by Dock was generally neutral. Most of the public criticism over Tszyu fighting under such conditions was largely directed at his corner.
Specifically catching strays was Mark Gambin, Tszyu’s cutman who was presented with the Herculean task to heal the horribly placed wound. The cut was caused when Tszyu leaned in and managed to catch Fundora’s elbow, which was believed to have nicked a vein in Tszyu’s head.
Fundora-Tszyu I headlined the first PBC on Prime Video Pay-Per-View event. The same platform will air the rematch, which serves as the chief support to the Mario Barrios-Manny Pacquiao WBC welterweight title fight.
Dock works predominantly in the East Coast but has become a fixture in Nevada’s officiating pool since 2013.
There will be one more official for the rematch who also worked the first fight. David Sutherland (Oklahoma) will be brought back as one of the three judges, joined by Eric Cheek (Nevada) and Patricia Morse Jarman (Nevada).
Judge Sutherland scored the first fight in favor of Fundora. His 115-113 card was the closest of the three ringside officials. Tim Cheatham (116-112) awarded eight rounds to Tszyu, the polar opposite of Steve Weisfeld (116-112) who had it the other way for Fundora.
Interestingly, judges Cheatham and Weisfeld are assigned to the Barrios-Pacquiao main event.
Fundora made one successful defense of his unified title reign. He stopped Chordale Booker in the fourth round of their March 22 PBC on Prime Video headliner from nearby Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Less than two months later, Fundora was relieved of his WBO title when he was unable to move forward with a mandatory title defense against Xander Zayas. A contractually bound rematch with Tszyu forced his hand, though the WBC belt remains at stake for this contest.
Tszyu suffered a second straight defeat after his clash with Fundora, a one-sided third-round knockout to IBF 154lbs titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev last October 19 in Orlando, Florida. The 30-year-old rebounded with a fourth-round knockout of Joey Spencer on April 6 in Newcastle, Australia. Tszyu was rumored at the time to next face former unified welterweight titlist Keith Thurman but instead activated a rematch clause to run it back with Fundora.
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on and .