WBO interim super welterweight (154 lbs) champion Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KO’s) will be vacating his interim title upon the announcement of an upcoming fight against Canelo Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KO’s) according to the WBO. Crawford has further relinquished his position as the WBO mandatory contender at 154 lbs.
In a letter sent to all the necessary parties, the sanctioning body has decided to designate rising Puerto Rican contender Xander Zayas (21-0, 13 KO’s) as the WBO mandatory contender given his resume and #1 position on the WBO’s 154 lbs rankings ― which he held since October of 2024.
Additionally, the WBO has ordered Zayas and the holder of the WBO 154-pound title, Sebastian Fundora (22-1-1, 14 KO’s), to face each other and has officially designated the negotiation period to start from March 23rd to April 12th.
Fundora most recently fought this past weekend in a voluntary title defense against Chordale Booker (23-2, 11 KO’s) on March 22nd after his attempts to face Errol Spence Jr. collapsed. Following the completion of his latest match, Fundora has now been obligated by the WBO to fulfill his mandatory duties and face Xander Zayas, who replaces Crawford as the designated mandatory challenger of the division.
Notably, Fundora will not be able to take a fight in the interim unless he vacates his WBO title or defends his belt against Zayas. Previously, Fundora had already been given multiple exceptions, having first been granted an extension to prolong talks with former mandated opponent Terence Crawford, after which he was given another exception to voluntarily defend his title against another top 15-ranked opponent.
After Fundora’s attempts to face Errol Spence Jr. ― who was not ranked in the WBO’s top 15 super welterweight rankings ― collapsed, the current unified 154-pound champion scrambled to pick Booker as his eventual voluntary opponent. Following his successful title defense against Booker, culminating in a stoppage win for Fundora, he has now exhausted every option to avoid his mandatory and must face Zayas within the next couple of months.
Curiously, a fight between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez has yet to be formally announced ― suggesting the two have already signed a contract but are likely waiting for Alvarez’ upcoming May 3rd match against William Scull to conclude before an announcement is made. Their match will also signal the next undisputed champion of the super middleweight (168 lbs) division as they both head into their fight as champions.
Regardless of the outcome of Alvarez’ upcoming May 3rd match, Crawford will be vacating his WBO interim title. Additionally, with Crawford’s confirmed relinquishment of his WBO mandatory status, Xander Zayas has been given the opportunity to engage in his first-ever world title fight against Sebastian Fundora ― marking a momentous occasion for the young Puerto Rican contender to prove his potential as a once-in-a-generation fighter.
