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Sebastian Fundora Sticks With Plan To Next Face Errol Spence; WBC Title Only At Stake
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Sebastian Fundora Sticks With Plan To Next Face Errol Spence; WBC Title Only At Stake
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Dec 14, 2024
Dec 14, 2024
2 min read
Sebastian Fundora confirmed his intentions to make his first junior middleweight title defense versus former unified welterweight titleholder Errol Spence Jr. However, only the WBC 154-pound belt will be at stake whenever the bout takes place.
Errol Spence will have the chance to become a two-division titleholder.
The stakes for his pursuit are limited to a single title, however.
Reigning WBC/WBO junior middleweight titlist Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) confirmed his plans during the WBC Convention to next meet Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) sometime in 2025. Neither a date nor location were confirmed for a fight that has been in discussion dating back to Fundora's March 30 unified title win over Tim Tszyu at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Spence joined Fundora in the ring that night to formally confirm his interest in the fight. However, he will only be eligible to win the WBC title. The former unified welterweight titlist is number one in the sanctioning body's junior middleweight ratings but is not ranked by the WBO.
The Ring has confirmed that Fundora was granted permission by the WBO to proceed with the fight, but that it would be classified as a non-title fight in the sanctioning body's eyes.
Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) representatives sought to rectify the matter during the WBO convention in October. A request was made to have Spence ranked in its top 15 junior middleweight rankings. Newly crowned WBO president Gustavo Oliveiri promised the sanctioning body would review and vote on the matter, but cautioned that it wouldn't impact the group's previous stance on not allowing its belt at stake.
The concern was that Spence has not fought since his lopsided, technical knockout defeat to Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) last July 29 at T-Mobile Arena. Crawford won the vacant Ring welterweight championship and fully unified the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO titles.
Spence's last win came in an April 2022 stoppage over Erislandy Lara in their WBA, WBC and IBF unification bout at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Spence has been the building's most frequent boxing participant, as he hails from nearby Desoto.
AT&T Stadium is the likely destination for Fundora-Spence, although the targeted time frame has changed several times over the past few months.
Fundora has not fought since his win over Tszyu. The Ring No. 4 junior middleweight was previously ordered by the WBO to face Crawford, the WBA and interim WBO beltholder, in a title consolidation bout. Crawford—The Ring No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter and No. 1 junior middleweight—has not expressed interest in any fight other than a lucrative showdown with The Ring and unified super middleweight king Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs).
As such, a deal was struck that permitted Fundora and Crawford to go their separate ways for at least one fight.
Jake Donovan is part of the U.S. team for The Ring. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.
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