LAS VEGAS – He endured a bloodbath for the ages to become a champion, and he quickly disposed of his first challenger.
Next, as Sebastian Fundora readies for his rematch on July 19 with former champion Tim Tszyu of Australia, the WBC 154lbs champion from southern California seeks to continue his elevation.
“Of course – I am a champion so I have to compete like that,” Fundora, 22-1-1 (14 KOs), told BoxingScene during a session with reporters to formally announce his bout with Tszyu, 25-2 (18 KOs), which serves as the co-main event to the Mario Barrios-Manny Pacquiao WBC welterweight title fight at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand on Prime Video pay-per-view.
The bout is a renewal of their clash in March 2024 on Premier Boxing Champions’ debut Prime Video promotion. Former welterweight champion Keith Thurman withdrew from fighting Tszyu because of an injury, and Fundora – coming off a knockout loss to Brian Mendoza – was inserted as the replacement opponent.
Relying on his nearly 10-inch reach advantage, Fundora, 27, outworked Tszyu for the narrow victory.
Fundora knows there’s a lingering perception that he only defeated Tszyu by split-decision because the then-WBO champion sustained that vicious gash atop his head when the 6ft 6ins Fundora accidentally planted his sharpened elbow tip on to Tszyu in the second round of their gory war.
Tszyu has said he “lost his mind” because of the cascade of blood he lost through the fight, but Fundora dealt with blood loss, too, from a nose injury.
Given that he’s been through 12 rounds with Tszyu – who proceeded to get knocked down five times and finished in the third round in October versus the IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev of Russia, Fundora is seeking a convincing outing to illustrate his development.
Asked if he expects to go another 12 rounds with the 30-year-old Tszyu, Fundora, said “No”. He expects to finish him.
“We’ve been training very hard,” he said. “I’m the champion; still growing.
“We’re going to make some changes. We always try to improve.”
Fundora ideally would like to join his sister, Gabriela, as an undisputed champion, but he opted to drop his WBO title rather than defend it against his mandatory opponent Xander Zayas of Puerto Rico, who will instead fight Mexico’s Jorge Garcia Perez for it on July 26 in New York.
“It’s just the business of boxing,” Fundora said of Zayas. “I don’t get paid more to fight the mandatory. That’s what a promoter and a manager are for. It doesn’t bother me. I’ll still fight him.”
Fundora’s representatives, promoter Sampson Lewkowicz and Premier Boxing Champions-linked promoter Tom Brown, have each explained how the public’s interest and financial support of the Tszyu fight trumps an obligatory bout with Zayas.
Win this rematch, the thinking goes, and Fundora proves how good he is while pressing on towards lucrative dates against the heavies of the junior-middleweight division – including former undisputed champion and PBC stablemate Jermell Charlo, unbeaten Vergil Ortiz Jnr, Murtazaliev, and the winner of Zayas-Perez.
“Everyone wants to be the best – that’s how you stamp that,” Fundora said. “There’s a lot of fights to be made, a lot of names, and I want to fight all of them.
“People can say whatever they want [about dropping the WBO belt]. If [Zayas] wants the WBC [belt], he’s going to have to fight for it. I’m still champion.”
Fundora has remarked he witnessed some “PTSD” from Tszyu when the former champion reached for his head at the spot he was cut during the pummeling by Murtazaliev. Tszyu returned with a victory over Joseph Spencer in April.
“I expect a great fight,” Fundora said.
If there’s any lingering discomfort from Tszyu during the rematch, Fundora said “You’re going to see” the effect.
The theme of Fundora’s media session was hooked to the notion that he doesn’t expect this rematch to be close to the Braveheart-type battle both men staged previously.
“I don’t want that,” Fundora said. “Not on my side.”