Sebastian Fundora edged out Tim Tszyu in a gritty, split-decision triumph to win the WBC and WBO 154-Pound World Titles. The clash, which headlined the first-ever PBC Pay-Per-View streamed on Prime Video, ended with one judge tipping the scales in Tszyu’s favor at 116-112, only to be outvoted by tallies of 116-112 and 115-113 for Fundora.
Fundora was over the moon, thanking Tszyu for the shot at glory, “We’ve been gunning for this, and now, the dream’s a reality, thanks to Tim Tszyu.”
The fight kicked off with Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) setting the pace, dishing out straight right hands like candy before a surprise elbow from Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) in the second round left him with a gusher on his head. Despite the setback, Tszyu, ever the warrior, soldiered on, hampered yet defiant.
Tszyu shrugged it off, “I’m cut from the old cloth, I press on no matter what. Props to Fundora tonight, that’s the fight game for you.”
Fundora, not without his own battle scars, leveraged his reach to pepper Tszyu with jabs, further throwing him off his game. The southpaw found his rhythm, landing solid lefts that kept Tszyu at bay.
Bleeding nose and all, Fundora remained strategic, “Wasn’t planning on a busted nose, but hey, that’s the fight life. I played it smart, showed off a bit of my boxing finesse, I hope.”
The punch stats painted a clear picture; Fundora’s jab game was strong, outlanding Tszyu 93-39, and despite throwing nearly double the punches, Tszyu’s precision strikes weren’t enough to clinch the win.
Tszyu, undeterred, stated, “I’m always game for a brawl. No excuses. You want a dust-up, you know who to ring.”
The win was a historic moment for Fundora, joining his sister Gabriela as a world champion under the guidance of their father and coach, Freddy. The victory lap was briefly interrupted by Errol Spence Jr., eyeing Fundora for his next conquest.
Fundora welcomed the challenge, “Spence is top-dog, but taking him down? That’s legendary.”
Spence, sizing up Fundora, didn’t mince words, “You’re in the big leagues now. He’s tall, but we’ll cut him down to size.”
In a night of high drama and flowing blood, Fundora’s strategic prowess and resilience shone through, marking a significant milestone in his career and setting the stage for future showdowns that promise to be just as electrifying.
- Sebastian Fundora def. Tim Tszyu (c) via split decision (116-112, 112-116, 115-113)
- Isaac Cruz def. Rolando Romero (c) via eighth-round knockout
- Erislandy Lara (c) def. Michael Zerafa via second-round knockout
- Julio Cesar Martinez (c) def. Angelino Cordova via majority decision (113-113, 114-112, 114-112)
- Serhii Bohachuk def. Brian Mendoza via unanimous decision (118-110, 117-111, 117-111)