WBC interim champion at Junior Middleweight/Super Welterweight, Sebastian Fundora, is set to defend his interim world title on the 8th of April when he faces fellow American and a top 20 contender in Brian Mendoza. The two will headline at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Sebastian Fundora (20-0-1, 13 KO’s), 25, is coming off of an easy unanimous decision victory in October of 2022 over Mexican challenger Carlos Ocampo (34-2, 22 KO’s). The American youngster will be looking to keep a hold of his interim title while patiently awaiting his opportunity to face the winner of the yet-to-be-announced bout between undisputed Super Welterweight champion Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KO’s) and Tim Tszyu (22-0, 16 KO’s).
He will be matched with Brian Mendoza (21-2, 15 KO’s), another American fighter whose best win came through a technical knockout over former 154 lbs champion, Jeison Rosario (23-4-1, 17 KO’s). The 29-year old is known for his devastating punching ability which has landed him a higher-than-average KO ratio of 71% thus far. Though not exactly ahead of the pack when it comes to the type of American fighters currently in the division, Mendoza is regarded as the 19th best Junior Middleweight in the world according to BoxRec.
He will face literal and figurative steep opposition in Sebastian Fundora who has appropriately been named ‘The Towering Inferno’ for his height which currently stands at six foot and six inches. 25-year old Fundora therefore has a number of advantages to his side which he will be expected to put to full use on April 8th.
Despite only becoming a WBC interim champion roughly a year ago in April of 2022, Fundora has clearly not shied away in staying busy while awaiting his opportunity to face the holder of the WBC belt which is currently in the possession of undisputed champion Jermell Charlo. Fundora’s best victory occurred in the same match in which he became an interim champion after he stopped former world title challenger, Erickson Lubin, in the ninth round of their April 9th match.
Similar to Shakur Stevenson, Fundora is regarded as one of the best American talents in the world, and his position as the WBC interim champion of the Super Welterweight division has only further bred the expectation that he might soon win a world title to make good on the perception that he is a boxer destined to be great.
However, Brian Mendoza still poses a tough challenge for Sebastian Fundora given he had shown some susceptibility when being knocked down by a similar puncher in Erickson Lubin. It will be a matter of wits and will for Fundora to make it past such a tough opponent, but he enjoys the benefits of many advantages that makes him a sure-fire favorite to win and retain his interim world title.
