Sebastian Fundora will be vacating his WBO 154-lb title instead of defending it against mandatory Xander Zayas. Fundora (21-1-1, 14 KO) will instead defend his remaining WBC junior middleweight title against Tim Tszyu in a rematch this summer. A purse bid is scheduled for this Friday for Fundora and Zayas. That’s not happening now.
Fans on social media are saying Fundora, 27, ducked Zayas because it would have been a difficult fight for him due to his defensive style of fighting. This is a business move for Sebastian. He can make more money from PPV sales from the Australian market, fighting the former WBO 154-lb champion Tszyu again, than he can against Zayas.
Xander’s Chance Arises
Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) will fight #2 Jorge Garcia Perez (33-3, 26 KOs) for the vacant WBO 154-lb title. That’s a better match-up for the Top Rank-promoted Zayas, 22, than if he were to have changed the 6’5 1/2″ Fundora for the belt.
It’s still not a walk in the park because Perez is coming off a 12-round split decision win over Charles Conwell this month on April 19th. Top Rank won’t mind if Zayas wins the vacant WBO belt against Jorge Perez instead of Fundora. They’re trying to turn Zayas into a star in New York and his native Puerto Rico, and he needs a title to validate him with the public.
Lance Pugmire reports that the Fundora-Tszyu could take place on July 19th in Las Vegas. However, it still needs to be confirmed.
Tszyu (25-2, 18 KOs) lost his WBO junior middleweight title to Fundora last year by a 12-round split decision on March 30th. He received a cut early in the fight in round two, and couldn’t fight through the blood to get the win.
After losing to IBF 154-lb champion Bakhram Murtaliev by a third-round knockout on October 19th last year, Tszyu bounced back with a fourth-round TKO win over Joey Spencer on April 6th in Australia.
The fighter missing out for now is Keith Thurman, who had hoped to fight Tszyu next in what was expected to be a lucrative fight in Sydney, Australia. Thurman, 36, will have to wait and hopefully stay busy fighting other opposition. Given Thurman’s recent history, he’ll likely wait on the Tszyu payday.
