Up until two weeks ago, junior middleweight contender Sebastian Fundora 20-1-1 (13) was supposed to be boxing for the vacant WBC 154-pound title this weekend.
That fight will no longer be happening.
Instead, he will be boxing for the full WBO and WBC titles against Tim Tszyu 24-0 (17) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Californian was pulled from the undercard, where he was set to face Ukrainian puncher Serhii Bohachuk 23-1 (23) for the secondary WBC belt, and thrust into the main event after Tszyu’s original opponent Keith Thurman 30-1 (22) was forced to withdraw after suffering a biceps injury in training.
Suddenly Fundora found himself in the right place at the right time.
The boxing world has been abuzz ever since the new fight was announced. The pairing added much needed intrigue to the main event with original opponent Thurman failing to excite the public’s appetite.
Now we have Australia’s Tszyu, 29, facing the trickiest opponent of his career, a six-foot-six southpaw on less than a fortnight’s notice.
Fundora himself has been blown away by this whirlwind of events.
“What a change of events. From opening the card to headlining in the fight capital of the world of Las Vegas. This is a big opportunity that we’re going to take advantage of on Saturday night,” Fundora said.
“This is the moment and the time for me to become world champion. My sister did it six months ago and now it’s my turn.”
The bout will be the first time Fundora has stepped into the ring since his disastrous outing against Brian Mendoza 23-2 (16) last April. In that fight he won virtually every round before Mendoza exploited a defensive lapse and knocked him out in the seventh.
It was a rude awakening for Fundora, who was starting to gain widespread respect as a genuine contender at junior middleweight.
“Losses happen in boxing. I made a mistake and I paid for it. Everything has still lined up the way it should be and now we have a chance to find out who the best fighter at 154 pounds is,” Fundora said.
“I expect the best from Tim Tszyu. This is the best fight you can make in the division. He’s number one right now and we’ll crown a new champion on Saturday night.
“I always look at myself as the underdog. Now It’s just time to prove again what we’re made of. I’m so thankful to fight for my dream on Saturday night.”
There is a lot of additional pressure on both boxers going in to the bout with a potential multi-million dollar payday on offer for the winner to face former two-weight undisputed champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 40-0 (31) in the next six months.
As the old saying goes, fortune favours the brave.
