Blood Brothers: Fundora Upsets Tszyu, Wins WBC/WBO Titles

Sebastian Fundora rolled the dice on Saturday in Las Vegas.

With 11 days’ notice, he took on fearsome WBO World Super Welterweight champion Tim Tszyu of Australia. Few gave Fundora much of a chance, coming off his first loss by knockout to Brian Mendoza.

After a dramatic and bloody battle, a disciplined Fundora of Coachella, California (22-1-1, 13 KOs) put his 10-inch height and reach advantage to use, handing Tszyu of Sydney (24-1, 17 KOs) his first loss by split decision. Scores were 116-112 and 115-113 for Fundora and 116-112 for Tszyu.

Fundora wins Tszyu’s WBO belt and the vacant WBC title to become a unified world champion.

With sister Gabriela at his side, the current IBF Flyweight champion, Fundora said, “We’ve been praying for this moment for a long time, and I’m just happy that Tim Tszyu gave me the opportunity and the opportunity became my dream come true.” 

“Tszyu is a world champion for a reason. It’s an honor to share the ring and make history with him.

Disciplined Performance Under Duress By Fundora

Cynics expected Fundora, age 26, to do what he customarily does: fight at a distance for the first few rounds, then revert to his usual offensive-minded style. Fundora learned a valuable lesson after getting caught and knocked out by Mendoza. The revelation in this fight was how beautifully Fundora used his skills to prevent Tszyu from moving in, working a good jab and responding with power shots when Tszyu got close.

Tszyu won the first two rounds while Fundora was still assessing him. The fight took a dramatic turn at the end of round two. Tszyu leaned in, following through on a punch, and took a hard elbow from Fundora to the top of the head. It opened a massive gash, sending blood gushing down Tszyu’s face.

Pouring freely, the blood never let up. The cornermen wiped Tszyu down and controlled what they could, soaking dozens of towels by the final bell. It impaired Tszyu’s vision and had to bother him, but not to the point the fight was stopped.

Fundora faced his own problems, suffering a broken nose from a Tszyu punch. It also poured through the rest of the fight but nowhere near what Tszyu confronted.

“I didn’t want to break my nose today, but this is my life, and this is boxing. I just had to be smart. I used my brain. I hope you saw me use my boxing skills tonight,” said Fundora.

Fundora Fends Off Critics With Victory

It made for a bloody mess and a visual shock. Fundora delivered a performance most observers doubted he was disciplined and capable enough to pull off. Fundora fought responsibly and defensively, using his ten-inch height and reach advantages in ways he hadn’t demonstrated before.

“You know I can fight on the outside. Now you know I can fight on the inside,” said Fundora. When I asked about the criticism, Fundora said he knows people talk. He said had a year to prepare and learn from the mistakes made in the Mendoza fight.

Fundora still landed power punches, making rivers of blood fly from Tszyu’s head, but not to the point of leaving himself open to severe damage. It’s possible Tszyu was hampered too much by the situation to deliver the sort of power punching we’ve come to expect from him, but he made no excuses after the fight.

Still, some judges (and we’re looking at you, Tim Cheatham) value power punches more than jabs and gave enough rounds to the champion to make it closer than the fight appeared to the 14,726 fans at the T-Mobile Arena.

Fundora made a case for his father as a lead Trainer of the Year candidate in 2024. “My dad is in the running for Trainer of the Year with me and my sister both being world champions. Boxing is our life, and I’m very grateful.”

Tim Tsyzu Vows Rebound

After the loss, Tszyu accepted the twist of fate. “I’m a throwback fighter, and whatever circumstances come up, I’ll keep going. But all credit belongs to the man who won tonight. 

“These things happen. My momentum was rolling in the first two rounds, and then boom, you’re blinded completely. This is boxing. It’s part of the sport.” 

Tszyu said he would not offer any excuses despite the bloody injury suffered early in the fight. “I show up no matter what and always bring the fight. I’ll fight whoever, whenever.”

Tszyu sent a message to the unified, undisputed welterweight champion, Terence Crawford, who has discussed moving up to Tsyzu’s division. “If you want a good scrap, you know who to call.”

Meanwhile, Crawford’s former foe, Errol Spence, Jr., emerged in the ring. Asked about facing the winner, Spence Jr. said, “It’s time to get it on. He’s got the big dog now. It’s my first time seeing him in person. He’s got good height, but we’ll break him down.” Fundora replied, “Errol [Spence] is one of the pound-for-pound greats, so fighting him and getting a win would be history for me.

In a twist of boxing history, Tim Tszyu’s father, Kostya Tszyu, also suffered his first professional loss in Las Vegas. While awaiting a proposed fight against Oscar De La Hoya, the senior Tszyu took a stay-busy fight and lost his title to Las Vegas native Vince Phillips by tenth-round TKO on May 31, 1997. Tszyu was released by Top Rank and never fought De La Hoya.