Boxing Thriller: Fundora’s WBO Title Defense Dilemma
In a highly anticipated move, junior middleweight titleholder Sebastian Fundora has set his sights on a showdown with former welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. However, this decision has created a dilemma for the WBO championship committee, who will convene next week to clarify Fundora’s options.
If Fundora elects to take on Spence, he will need to either relinquish his WBO belt or risk having it stripped. According to a boxing official familiar with the situation, Fundora is obligated to next defend his title against the undefeated WBO “super” champion, Terence Crawford, who is set to face WBA junior middleweight titleholder Israil Madrimov on August 3 in a highly anticipated card in Los Angeles.
“[Crawford] will be afforded that privilege,” the official stated, underscoring the importance of the upcoming WBO championship committee meeting in determining the future of the junior middleweight division.
Failure to agree to a fight against Crawford would result in the committee converting the Crawford-Madrimov clash into a WBO title bout. In this scenario, Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) would be in the driver’s seat, as a victory would not only make him a four-division and unified champion but also free him to pursue a lucrative bout with the esteemed Saul “Canelo” Alvarez later in 2024 or early 2025, without relinquishing his 154-pound title.
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