The World Boxing Organization Monday ordered its new junior-middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora to launch negotiations with unbeaten, three-division champion Terence Crawford, although Fundora clearly has designs on Errol Spence Jr.
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) positioned himself for this by standing as a WBO “super” champion by virtue of his recent standing as an undisputed welterweight champion – a distinction he gained by dominating Spence in their July meeting.
It appeared Crawford’s interest was targeted on the possibility of meeting then-unbeaten WBO 154-pound champion Tim Tszyu, who entered Saturday night’s Amazon Prime Video debut main event for Premier Boxing Champions as a comfortable -700 favorite over former welterweight champion Keith Thurman’s replacement opponent Fundora.
But Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) claimed a stunning split-decision triumph over Australia’s Tszyu, who suffered a grisly cut atop his head at the close of the first round and bled profusely throughout the bout, admitting afterward he was “blinded” by the steady flow.
Fundora was supposed to fight Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk for the then-vacant World Boxing Council belt on the Saturday card. Upon Thurman’s biceps injury, the WBC made Tszyu-Fundora a two-belt affair.
That provides Fundora ample wiggle room to maneuver where his promoter, Sebastian Lewkowicz, is aiming: to Spence.
Not only did Texas’ Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) appear in the ring after Fundora’s victory to congratulate the new champion and tell him it’s time to fight “the big dog” now, he offers the opportunity to secure a greater purse, to keep the WBC belt and stage a well-promoted PBC on Prime Video main event.
Spence is a PBC loyalist who has fought for powerful manager Al Haymon’s promotion since its inception, while Crawford’s PBC link lasted one fight, expiring when the Crawford-Spence rematch failed to get made.
While Tszyu holds a verbal rematch clause with Fundora, Lewkowicz obviously feels empowered to delay it for now, saying at Saturday night’s post-fight news conference that Tszyu needs time to “heal up.”
“(Tszyu) will get the rematch, but not at this moment – not when we need to maximize the money for (Fundora),” Lewkowicz told reporters in a side session later Saturday night. “(Fundora) deserves it.”
In a Monday statement intending to "clarify" those remarks, Lewkowicz said Fundora will honor the Tszyu rematch agreement at some time.
wishes to clarify his position on a potential Fundora rematch with now former champ and previously unbeaten Tim Tszyu.
“We were all so eager to make this fight that many of our agreements were made verbally. There wasn’t enough time,” explained Lewkowicz. “But I wish to make it clear that Team Fundora will honor the agreement. My word is always equal to a signed contract. Tim Tszyu, your rematch is ready when you are.”
Lewkowicz says the Fundora vs. Tszyu rematch will happen, with the only deciding factor being if Tszyu would like to do it immediately or if he prefers the fighters take an interim fight each beforehand.
“It all depends on Tim Tszyu,” Lewkowicz said in the statement. “If he doesn’t take the rematch, we will take the WBO mandatory or Spence, whatever the WBO says, but the first priority is the rematch with Tim Tszyu.”
Lewkowicz on Saturday jabbed Crawford’s drawing power, too, saying his choice of Spence as the next opponent for Fundora is obvious because Crawford “cannot sell out (a crowd of) 90,000 people in Dallas. Everybody waits … why not Crawford? Let him wait one time, if not twice, and then we’ll go.”
A decision to pursue Spence contradicts obeying the WBO mandates that a 20-day negotiating window between Fundora and Crawford will start Friday.
Lewkowicz told BoxingScene Monday such an order is premature considering Fundora could require surgery and healing time to recover from the broken nose he suffered Saturday.
"If it doesn't heal correctly, it will bleed again," Lewkowicz said.
According to WBO rules, if a fighter is not interested in participating in a championship fight such as this one, they should inform the sanctioning body in writing before or during the 20-day window.
Fundora could offer to relinquish his WBO belt in that letter or the sanctioning body may strip his belt. A WBO official told BoxingScene Monday that Crawford fully plans to participate in the title fight, and has previously formally requested for the rare opportunity to be a four-division champion.
The question is who would replace Fundora in the bout should the Californian formally move to withdraw from the event.
The favorite is Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs), who decided to fight through the vicious head cut – caused when he lurched his head upward, slamming it onto the sharpened tip of Fundora’s bent left elbow.
Tszyu expressed excitement before and after the bout over fighting Crawford, and Tszyu’s competitive showing in the defeat – one judge scored the bout 116-112 in his favor – should likely keep him in an elevated spot atop the WBO’s ratings.
