By Dan Ambrose: Sebastian ‘Towering Inferno’ Fundora now needs unified 154-lb champion Jermell Charlo subsequent after beating Erickson ‘The Hammer’ Lubin by a ninth-round stoppage final Saturday night time to win the interim WBC junior middleweight title at The Theater at Virgin Accommodations Las Vegas.
Fundora is pulling for Charlo to defeat Brian Castano subsequent month on Could 14th for his or her undisputed 154lb championship in Carson, California.
A battle between Fundora and Charlo could be large within the U.S, probably far greater than a Castano-Fundora conflict.
Fundora (19-0-1, 13 KOs) is the brand new star of this weekend’s fights, taking the limelight away from the favored social media icon Ryan Garcia along with his thrilling knockdown drag-out victory over #1 WBC Lubin.
If Fundora can beat the Charlo vs. Castano successful this yr to turn out to be the undisputed champion at 154, he’s received the potential to be a mega-star. That might be a crushing blow to Jermell’s profession to lose to Fundora, however it’s attainable that it may occur until Tim Tszyu will get to him first.
Fundora dropped Lubin within the second spherical however was later knocked down himself within the seventh spherical after getting nailed by a number of laborious left arms from the 26-year-old.
Earlier within the spherical, Lubin’s face started to swell up badly from the excessive variety of pictures that Fundora had hit him with. Although Lubin completed the seventh spherical sturdy with a knockdown, the injury had already been finished to his face.
Within the eighth spherical, Fundora got here again and continued to
Charlo (34-1-1, 18 KOs) nonetheless must beat WBO champion Brian Castano of their rematch on Could 14th for Fundora to get a possibility to battle him.
Jermell is on Fundora’s radar
“Charlo has three of the belts proper now. For him to win this, it’s not simply taking place, however it’s the one which’s going to occur, and if we may do go and take all of it from him, that may be nice,” mentioned Sebastian Fundora to Fighthype about preferring to face Jermell Charlo for all 4 titles in his subsequent battle.
“I really feel like we get the job finished with him too,” mentioned Fundora when requested how he matched up with Jermell. “He’s one other fighter that likes to bang and belief his energy. Similar to him, we belief our energy too, however I simply suppose we’re stronger,” mentioned Fundora.
In some methods, Charlo is perhaps a neater battle for Fundora than Lubin turned out to be. Jermell may be outboxed, and he struggles towards fighters that throw lots of punches.
We noticed what Castano did to Charlo final yr by utilizing his excessive quantity punch output to dominate him in entrance of his personal followers in Texas.
“Hell, yeah, I belief my chin. Sure, you don’t wish to get hit as a lot as attainable since you wish to win the battle, clearly,” mentioned Fundora when requested what went by his head when he was dropped by Lubin within the seventh spherical.
“I took the knee to gather myself. I received again up, and I received the job finished,” mentioned Sebastian. “You’ll be able to say it was the toughest battle of my profession. He made me take a knee and made me suppose a little bit bit.
Fundora knew he’d cease Lubin
“It was an ideal battle, and we gave each of us, Lubin and me, we gave the battle we needed to for everyone,” mentioned Fundora. “It was an inferno.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, if this [swollen right eye] wasn’t right here, I’d go 1,000,000 extra rounds,” mentioned Fundora when requested if he may have gone one other ten rounds towards Erickson.
“My situation is ok, however it was a troublesome battle. We will get a little bit relaxation. I used to be a little bit bit buzzed,” mentioned Sebastian about being damage within the seventh by Erickson. “My situation is 100%. I’m prepared for something.
“I believe after I dropped him within the second spherical with an uppercut, I knew the uppercut was going to land once more, once more, once more. The spherical that I took the knee [round seven], I felt we have been dominating fairly good till we took that knee. Then within the spherical after [8th], we got here again, and it was just like the prepare by no means stopped.
“In fact,” mentioned Fundora when requested if he needs IBF/WBA/WBC 154-lb champion Jermell Charlo subsequent. “If we will win all of the belts directly, why not? I need the champion subsequent. This [interim WBC 154-lb strap] is just a small step in direction of it,” Fundora mentioned.
Ellerbe: Fundora will likely be laborious to beat
“The subsequent one is the actual factor hopefully, but when not, we’ll battle anyone at 154. We’re doing good,” mentioned Fundora about his plans for his subsequent match.
“Yeah, I knew he was going to get caught once more,” mentioned Fundora when requested if he felt he was going to win within the ninth spherical when Lubin started to carry nonstop and was now not punching.
“Both he was going to get caught once more, or the nook was going to cease it as a result of I took a step again, and I noticed his face. His face was a little bit too swollen already. I used to be like, ‘There’s no means he can see out of his eyes.’ So my prediction got here true.
“You know the way he says he’d gained six fights in a row? I do know he’d been enthusiastic about how individuals make enjoyable of his chin and all that. He’s a troublesome fighter, and he labored on that. I simply know I hit laborious too.
“I didn’t suppose this battle was going to go the space, and we received the job finished. After I dropped him [in round two], it was on the finish of the spherical. Actually, after they completed the depend, the spherical was over.
“I like, ‘That’s high quality.’ He got here again within the third spherical, and I knew he’d had a minute of relaxation. It was high quality. I knew he was going to be high quality,” Fundora mentioned about Lubin.
“It was an ideal battle and an ideal stoppage by Kevin Cunningham. That’s why he’s one of many biggest trainers on this planet,” mentioned Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe to Fighthype in reacting to Sebastian Fundora’s win over Erickson Lubin.
“Fundora, he’s a quantity puncher, and he’s a pointy puncher. Once more, he’s a terrific fighter, and he’s going to be laborious to beat. Acquired to get in these fights [against Jermell Charlo & Brian Castano], and he’s going to get the chance. It’s nice for boxing followers,” mentioned Ellerbe.
