Brian Mendoza has proven that persistence and a little luck can lead to great things.
The 154-pounder from Albuquerque has lost two of his three matches between 2019 and 2021, the latter of which was a one-way decision against rising star Jesus Ramos. He seems to have hit the ceiling as a boxer as far as is concerned.
Then he received a phone call.
Yoelvis Gomez withdrew from her November 5 160-pound fight against former unified champion Jeison Rosario. Is Mendoza ready to replace Gomez in a short time with unnatural weight?
Absolute.
Mendoza told Boxing Junkie: “As soon as I heard about this possibility, I said, ‘Please give me that match and see what I do.
What Mendoza did was take down the once-feared Dominican in five rounds, a win that put him back as a tennis player and put him up against top contender Sebastian Fundora on Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California (Showtimes).
He was pleased with the change but not surprised.
“I’m a full-time fighter,” he said. “Ever since I got into boxing, all I did was eat, sleep and breathe boxing. That is my obsession. I take the [Ramos] loss and just say, ‘Where do I go from here? How do I regroup?’
“I had a lot of faith. I believe that with the work ethic, the experience I have, the support team behind me, my dreams can still be achieved.”
Of course, another hidden danger lies ahead.
Rosario was in decline by the time he met Mendoza, having been knocked out by Jermell Charlo and Erickson before winning three pointless games in the Dominican Republic. He retired after losing to Mendoza.
In contrast, Fundora (20-0-1, 13 KOs) is one of the hottest boxers in the world. The 6-foot-6 boxer stopped Lubin in his breakout win last April.
Mendoza seems unfazed, even with Fundora’s height and the fact that he’s left-handed. He is 5 feet 10 tall and fights in an orthodox stance.
“I used to help UFC fighter, Tim Means, get ready for his fights,” he said. “…He was like 6-2, a 6-2 male player fighting inside. Just tons of pressure and everything. So I feel like I’ve had my looks since I was an amateur.
“And over the years there have been a lot of tall boys. Even before I received the call for this war, I was there with the cruisers. I’m sparring the big guy. So I don’t care about the height.
“I know how to get in, I know how to move, I know how to disable their best assets. It’s just a different style. Each style if different you have to neutralize and use your best weapon.
“It’s just another fight where I have to get in there and get the job done.”
If he can, a chance to fight for a real world title – Fundora holds the “provisional” belt – could be coming, something that two years ago was hard to imagine.
Indeed, he will go a long way in a short time.
“This is my Rocky movie,” he said. “Unbelievable. Every step of the way I shouldn’t be here. I started boxing at 15, 16. I’ve had less than 30 amateur fights. I’ve turned pro, mostly is experienced as a professional.
“All the way I shouldn’t go this far, I shouldn’t have been this distant. And I just keep proving people wrong and taking it further.
