By: Sean Crose
The World Boxing Organization has decreed that junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora will fight living legend Terence Crawford for Fundora’s junior middleweight title. “Please be advised that the parties have thirty (30) days from the date of this notice to negotiate and reach an agreement for the WBO Junior Middleweight Mandatory Championship Contest set forth above,” the organization posted in an official letter on Wednesday. “If an agreement is not reached within the timeframe set forth herein, a bidding process will be initiated in accordance with the WBO Rules for World Championship Contests.” In short – a pretty big title fight has now been officially ordered by the WBO.
Fundura won his title the hard way, defeating the extremely talented but badly beaten Tim Tszyu last March. Fundura is incredibly tall for his size, nicknamed “The Towering Inferno” because he stands nearly six and a half feet tall. The Florida native has a 21-1-1 record, with his only loss coming to Brian Mendoza by seventh-round knockout in 2023. His only draw came in a 10-round bout with Jamontay Clark in 2019—a long time ago by boxing standards.
Crawford, of course, needs no introduction. Arguably the best boxer of his generation, the Omaha native has now won world titles in multiple weight classes. He also won the undisputed welterweight world championship last summer, when he completely dominated a clearly defeated Errol Spence. Now, with his sights set on becoming a junior middleweight world champion (he currently holds the interim title), Crawford is also considered a contender to face super middleweight king – and fellow future Hall of Famer – Canelo Alvarez. Despite now being 36, Crawford has already proven everything the world has to say about him, with a 41-0 record.
A fight with Fundura, however, would clearly be an interesting one. No one would argue that Fundura is not as skilled as the chess master Crawford, but he does have the advantage of height and youth, both of which are significant. Crawford, however, is on a different level to most fighters. Incredibly patient, he waits a few rounds to see exactly how he is going to beat his opponent – then goes straight in and does it, often from distance. Seeing Crawford’s genius come into play against the proven heart of the taller, younger Fundura could be something fans will soon find themselves looking forward to.
