Sebastian Fundora’s promoter Sampson Lewkowicz reveals that his fighter won’t be able to fight until November to defend his WBC/WBO junior middleweight titles due to him suffering a nose injury in his victory over Tim Tszyu last Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Tszyu Wants a Repeat
Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) has already expressed interest in fighting Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) next in a rematch to avenge his 12-round split decision loss.
If that happens, Fundora could be stripped of his WBO title because the World Boxing Organization has ordered him to defend against mandatory Terence Crawford next.
Crawford vs. Kelly for the Vacant Title?
That could set up a situation for Crawford, 36, to fight #1 Josh Kelly for the vacant WBO 154-lb title. That winner of that fight could face the Fundora vs. Tszyu victor if they’re interested in taking the match.
Crawford would have to take a big pay cut from the big payday he got for his fight against Errol Spence last July to fight Kelly. That won’t make him happy, but he would choose to take this patch if he believed it would lead to a bigger match against Tszyu or Fundora.
Crawford won’t want to sit around and wait for Fundora and Tszyu to fight again, so he’ll likely battle for the vacant title against Kelly.
Another possibility is Tszyu could step aside so that Errol Spence Jr. could face Fundora for whatever titles he has, and then Time would fight the winner. Spence was in the ring with Fundora last Saturday in what many saw as an early promotion start for a fight between them.
November Return for Fundora
“Fundora won’t be back in the ring until at least November. Lewkowicz told Fight Freaks Unite that Freddy Fundora, Sebastian’s father and trainer, told him that his son would need the layoff, in part because of the nose injury,” said Dan Rafael on his Fight Freaks Unite sight.
“Both fighters proved their tremendous hearts in this fight,” Lewkowicz said. “The elbow was a complete accident. And Sebastian Fundora was swallowing his own blood for ten rounds and still was able to beat one of the best in his division.
“It was a sensational fight, and we are ready to do it again when Tim is ready.