Although his challenger Ermal Hadribeaj caused him some problems during the early rounds of their fight, Sebastian Fundora left the ring victorious, scoring a knockout at the very last possible second while ahead on the scorecards. Some observers, including former world champion Terence Crawford, have questioned whether “The Towering Inferno” displayed enough quality to be considered the favorite against fighters of the caliber of Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz. However, Saturday night’s star firmly believes he could knock them out as well. Here’s what he said during the post-fight press conference:
If it was [Ennis or Ortiz], I’d still knock them out. It’s no different to me. These guys can’t hurt me. I made a mistake before, and I fell for it, but I don’t think that’s ever going to happen again.
I never felt hurt. I never felt in danger in any moment. This guy, he didn’t do [anything] to me. He couldn’t do [anything] to me, and I feel the same way with Boots or Vergil or any of these guys. I don’t think they could hurt me. I don’t think they can do anything to me in that way. I believe in my work. I believe in my talents, and we’ll be going for undisputed next year.
The mistake Fundora is referring to is the one he made against Brian Mendoza in 2023, when “The Towering Inferno” was brutally knocked out in the seventh round despite holding a commanding lead on the judges’ scorecards. That remains the only defeat on the American’s record, which currently stands at 25 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw.
According to some reports, Fundora could face Jaron Ennis in 2027 in a fight to crown an undisputed champion, provided that “Boots” defeats current IBF titleholder Josh Kelly, as widely expected. However, negotiations are unlikely to be straightforward. Fundora’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, has stated that the purses must be split strictly 50-50, a demand that Ennis and Matchroom are unlikely to accept.