A seven-foot giant with the power of a heavyweight. Who will Tim Tszyu have to fight?
Sergey Sorokin March 25, 2024, 1:30 PM Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Sebastián Fundora also continues his father’s work.
An exciting evening of boxing will take place on the night of March 31 in Las Vegas (USA). The main star of it should be Tim Tszyu. The heir of our legendary champion will perform in the main event of the tournament. The opponent will be the promising fighter Sebastián Fundora. It is worth noting that in appearance the Cuban-American bears little resemblance to a professional boxer. But the guy is rightly considered one of the most talented representatives of the division. Therefore, instead of the expected easy walk with Keith Thurman, Tim received a serious test of strength.
Let’s look at the main events of the next tournament:
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Fundora was born in the United States, but has Latin American roots: her family includes Mexicans and Cubans. Since he was little, Sebastian has seen his father Freddie perform in the ring. And this seems to be a great parallel with Tim. Of course, Freddie was far from the success that Kostya achieved. But the similarities between boxers in this component are still notable. Already at the age of eight, Sebastian began actively training under the guidance of his father. And then he built a good amateur base: about 100 fights, in which he mostly won.
Fundora’s professional career began on September 24, 2016. Then, in the first round, Sebastián knocked out Mexican José Cárdenas. Early in his career, Sebastian experimented a little with splits. But then he decided to fully concentrate on acting at junior middleweight. It is curious that for a long time Fundora gained experience in the company of David Benavidez. It was with him that the Cuban-American confronted.
Sebastian’s professional career developed rapidly. In just six years, Fundora fought 21 fights. And only once he could not achieve victory: the fight with Jemontay Clark ended in a draw. And the last defeated rival was the experienced Mexican Carlos Ocampo. But in 2023, Sebastian’s career still suffered the first defeat. On April 8, 2023, in Carson (USA), Fundora made his second defense of the WBC interim belt. And the opponent was Brian Mendoza. It is curious that Sebastián led the entire fight and had the initiative, obviously winning on points. But in the seventh round he suffered a severe knockout.
Sebastian Fundora fight
Photo: Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Fundora is an extremely unusual boxer. First of all, its anthropometry is of great interest. Sebastian’s height is 198 cm! For comparison, Tim is only 175. Therefore, during the reduction, the difference was literally astonishing. Most often, people with this height compete in the heavyweight category. But Fundora has a very fast metabolism. She eats without dieting and absorbs a large amount of calories, but still she does not gain weight. Sebastián also trains every day.
Another notable feature of the Cuban-American is his work. Fundora is left-handed, but fights in a right-handed position. Therefore, it may be very unusual for Tim to work against such an opponent. The left hand is truly a powerful tool in Sebastian’s arsenal. A boxer’s favorite punch is a quick jab. Fundora has an arm span of 203 cm, like a good basketball player. Sebastian will simply try not to let Tszyu get close and will throw his punches at him from afar.
If successful, Tim will have a dream fight:
Tszyu lost his opponent status and got an intermediary. In exchange, he the opportunity to unify the belts.
Fundora is a dangerous opponent who must be taken seriously. At stake is not only Timofey’s WBO title, but also the vacant WBC belt. And Sebastián will be as determined as possible to achieve the optimal result. The fight with Tszyu is the most important in the Cuban-American’s career.
