It took Sebastian Fundora just four rounds to overwhelm the unfortunate challenger Chordale Booker in the main event of the Premier Boxing Champions card at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. The “Infernal Tower,” as the WBC and WBO super welterweight champion is nicknamed, had been absent from the ring for nearly a year, but he showed no signs of rust, delivering a dominant victory.
As is always the case in Fundora’s fights, the height difference between the two boxers was immediately striking. Booker, who was 22 centimeters shorter and had a 25-centimeter reach disadvantage, adopted a cautious strategy, leading to a rather uneventful first round in which even Fundora didn’t press the action too aggressively.
Starting from the second round, the pace picked up. The champion moved forward with more determination, while the challenger attempted to rely on sudden but sporadic bursts to halt his advance. At this stage, the physical disparity between the two fighters became quite evident: every time Fundora landed a punch, he seemed to seriously trouble his opponent, whereas Booker’s punches had no visible effect.
Booker bravely tried to step up his aggression at the beginning of the third round, but his effort proved short-lived. Fundora absorbed his attacks without issue and quickly went on the counteroffensive, dominating the second half of the round and setting the stage for what was to come in the next stanza.
A helpless Booker attempted to respond, but in the fourth round, Fundora’s much heavier offense began to take its toll, causing him to bleed profusely from the nose. A pair of consecutive left uppercuts put the challenger in serious trouble, forcing him to desperately cling to his opponent before collapsing to the canvas, prompting the referee’s count.
Booker got back on his feet and tried to stay in the fight, but Fundora pounced on him with relentless aggression, pinning him against the ropes and landing a devastating one-two combination that convinced referee Thomas Taylor to step in and stop the fight, declaring a technical knockout.
A straightforward victory for the Infernal Tower, who never faced any real danger, reaffirming his physical strength and the power of his punches. Now, the towering American boxer might face WBO mandatory challenger Xander Zayas, a highly talented 22-year-old Puerto Rican with excellent technical skills. Despite his young age, Zayas already harbors big ambitions and is eager to shine on the biggest stages.
As for Chordale Booker, he did what he could but proved inadequate for the highest level. The 33-year-old from Stamford possesses solid technical fundamentals, but his lack of punching power and ability to absorb damage make it difficult for him to compete with the best fighters in the world.