Sebastian Fundora has officially moved from physically weird to legitimate candidate.
That became evident in the most recent battle of “The Towering Inferno”, a sensational ninth inning. take down the respected Erickson Lubin demonstrated both the ability and toughness of the 24-year-old this past April in Las Vegas.
Fundora (19-0-1, 13 KOs) knocked out Lubin in Round 2, knelt under a barrage of punches of her own in Round 7 and recovered to score a knockout and career-defining two-round win afterward.
The WBC No. 1 contender is scheduled to take on Carlos Ocampo on October 8 in Carson, California (Showtime).
“I just think it cemented me in the Top 10, Top 5 Boxers [in the division],” Fundora told Boxing Junkie. “Is the breakthrough winning? Yes Yes. That makes sense. They put another elite warrior in front of us and we are doing the same thing over and over again.
“I feel like the fans are now looking at us as if we have talent, it’s not just the height that we rely on. It’s good that people are finally realizing.”
The most telling moment probably came in Round 7, when a series of punches from Lubin forced Fundora to accept the kill.
Fundora admits that he is in trouble, that’s why he solves the problem himself by taking a break. His ability to survive the test of his resilience and then turn the tide underlined his toughness and fighting spirit.
“I just used my mind to win the war,” he said. “… I got hit with a punch that I don’t really like. All I can do is kneel; you can always do it. … I just stood up on my own and ended the battle. “
Ocampo (34-1, 22 KOs) is a solid opponent. The Mexican, ranked 13th by the WBC, lost his biggest match when he was stopped by welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr in 2018 but he has won 12 in a row since there.
Fundora sees him as a threat, saying, “He’s a very dangerous fighter, another ranked boxer who lost only one fight. And I’m pretty sure he’s hungry.”
That said, Ocampo should only be a stepping stone to Fundora’s ultimate goal: fighting for a world title. That means he already has undisputed champion Jermell Charlo in his sights, although there’s no word on when he might enter that fight or whether Charlo will stay at 154.
Fundora’s plan is to keep winning until he finally gets his chance, however that seems so.
“I am the mandatory WBC for a reason,” he said. “… When the opportunity comes, I will definitely take it. Feeling great. It felt like all the hard work was paying off, that I was doing the right thing. That is a good feeling. “
