Tag Archives: Sebastian fundora

Posted on 04/18/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Erickson Lubin pushed himself to the limit for his past training camp. The highly ranked junior middleweight contender knew that in order to successfully remove Sebastian Fundora from his title path, he would be forced to reach the sort of heights that few 154-pounders are able.

On April 9th, at the Virgins Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lubin was nearly triumphant in his bid to become an interim world champion. On the night, Lubin and Fundora waged a back and forth war that left many who were tuned in to watch, shellshocked.

After successfully outboxing his man in the first, Fundora turned the tide in the second, dropping Lubin with a short uppercut. From there, the two spent the majority of their bout in the middle of the ring. With Lubin finding his second wind, the 26-year-old rocked the freakishly tall Fundora in the seventh, sending him crashing down to the canvas for the first time in his career.

Yet, despite nearly stopping his man, Fundora quelled Lubin’s momentum in the eighth, before scoring the stoppage victory following the ninth round.

A look of disbelief was etched onto the face of Lubin as Kevin Cunningham, his head trainer, stepped onto the apron and waved off their contest.

While usually in those circumstances, both the head trainer and fighter communicate over the possibility of throwing in the towel, Lubin wasn’t afforded that courtesy. If, however, the crafty and powerful southpaw was given a heads up, he believes he would’ve gone to plan B.

“Nah we didn’t have that conversation,” said Lubin to BoxingInsider.com during a recent interview. “I don’t blame him, he’s like, looking out for me but the fighter in me, I could’ve kept going. I could’ve finished that fight. If I would’ve gotten a fair warning, like ‘oh yeah, I’m bout to stop the fight, I think you’re taking too much punches, or your face is messed up’ something like that, I would’ve changed up my game plan. I would’ve got to boxing or something. I would’ve figured it out.”

To make matters worse, at the time of stoppage, Lubin rallied enough in the second half of their contest to eke ahead on the judge’s scorecard. While judge Tim Cheatham had things even, scoring it 85-85, both Dave Moretti and Steve Weisfeld gave Lubin the slight edge, scoring it 85-84.

With rounds 10, 11, and 12 considered the “championship rounds”, Lubin grows even more apoplectic over the entire ordeal. While Fundora seemed to be gaining momentum, Lubin maintains that he was more than capable of doing just enough to pull out the victory.

“Yea, for sure, for sure,” said Lubin when asked if he could’ve mustered enough energy to pick up the win. “Those are the championship rounds. Those are the rounds you talk about in the gym every day. When it gets to crunch time, when it gets to those grueling rounds, when you gotta bite down. I’m for it, I’m all for it. I think I definitely would’ve bit down and came out with a decision. Maybe even a knockout.”

Despite believing that he was given a raw deal, Lubin refuses to play the blame game. Shortly following the second defeat of his career, Lubin was immediately rushed to the hospital due to severe swelling that was developing throughout. Although Lubin remains firm on wishing Cunningham communicated with him prior to the stoppage, the Florida native is of the belief that this bump in the road could become a career turning point.

“Like I said, I don’t blame Kevin. He’s going to do whatever he feels is best for me. I don’t think this is going to draw us any further from each other. I think this is actually going to have us get closer. Me and my whole team.”

Posted on 04/13/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Terence Crawford shook his head in disbelief as he took in the sights from this past weekend’s junior middleweight Fight of the Year candidate.

At the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada, both Sebastian Fundora and Erickson Lubin waged an all-out war. Although Lubin experienced success early on, Fundora wore down the highly ranked contender, en route to a ninth-round stoppage victory.

Fundora, who stands at an unprecedented 6’6”, pummeled Lubin for much of the night. With each passing round, Fundora grew more and more demonstrative in his assault as Lubin crumbled underneath his unrelenting power.

As the freakishly tall 154-pound contender continued to brutalize his man, Crawford was shellshocked by both Fundora’s engine and his massive frame. According to the current WBO welterweight titlist, watching Fundora fight is almost like watching an unfair video game.

“Fundora a cheat code,” said Crawford on his social media account. “He the type of character you make on Fight Night and boost the sliders up and his height and a smaller weight class.”

Crawford, 34, has recently stated that if he were unable to land a marquee showdown against unified welterweight champion, Errol Spence Jr., he would be more than willing to make the move seven pounds north in order to face the winner of the upcoming showdown between Jermell Charlo and Brain Castano.

Should Crawford officially make the move, he could find himself facing the mammoth Fundora. With the 6’6” 154 pounder securing the WBC interim title following his win over Lubin, the 24-year-old will be looking to nab his own world title opportunity.

Posted on 04/11/2022

By: Hans Themistode

There’s a certain art that’s associated with the sport of boxing. Of course, there’s the obvious, the barbaric actions of two fighters entering the ring shirtless, beating one another until someone shamefully says “no mas.” But boxing is more than just blood, guts, and agony.

There were a few fighters who taught us that. Take a trip back in time and watch as guys such as Pernell Whitaker, Sam Langford, Winky Wright, Gene Tunney, Wilfred Benitez, and Willie Pep – made fighters miss over and over again. Though they often picked up the win, on most occasions, they never quite appealed to fans. Even so, that never truly mattered. They retired with an unprecedented amount of wins, only a handful of losses, and a well-established bank account.

Whenever a microphone is thrown into the face of Floyd Mayweather, arguably the greatest defensive fighter of all-time, he often begins by speaking about his great investments, how effortlessly he milked the sport, and most likely, whether he’s asked about it or not, he’ll explain how easily he defeated Canelo Alvarez. Other than those sticking points, Mayweather was proud of his pristine record through 50 fights and the money he made as a result.

Seldom was the newly inducted Hall of Famer in a back and forth war for 12 rounds. That’s not to say that he didn’t have his fair share of difficult nights at the pugilistic office. Miguel Cotto, Marcos Maidana, and Jose Luis Castillo pushed Mayweather. But, despite those back and forth bouts, Mayweather provided an illusion of the sport.

Mayweather, and Andre Ward for that matter, made it look incredibly easy. Countless punches whizzed by their unprotected chins, just inches away from hitting them right on the button. Both men, and numerous others, knew when to move, when to react, and how to avoid the big punches.

But while fighters such as Mayweather, Pep, and Ward perfected the art of hit while not getting hit, this past weekend, however, was a quick reminder of the brutality of the sport.

Erickson Lubin was determined to re-establish himself as not only a top name at 154 pounds but THE top name in the weight class. Following his stunning first-round knockout loss at the hands of Jermell Charlo in 2017, Lubin pulled himself up by the bootstraps and placed himself back into the title picture.

With six consecutive wins in a row, Lubin was just one victory away from standing in the front of the line as the division’s most worthy title challenger. That said, as Lubin walked through those doors to be viewed as the best of the best, his vision was impaired by the 6’6” Sebastian Fundora.

Despite the tall task, both literally and figuratively, oddsmakers pegged Lubin as a slight favorite. The 26-year-old would prove them right early on as he outboxed the freakishly tall Fundora in the opening round of their Las Vegas showdown this past weekend. But while Lubin continued to have his moments, Fundora snuffed out any chance he had at winning.

Round after round, Lubin attempted to use his defensive abilities to ward off a fighter with a six-inch reach and ridiculous eight-inch height advantage. At times, Lubin popped his jab, deflected his man’s oncoming assault, and moved side to side, making it nearly impossible for Fundora to land flush.

But as the rounds, minutes, and seconds began ticking by, Fundora began finding the mark. In the second, the enormous contender landed a flush uppercut on Lubin, sending him to the deck. From there, Lubin began planting his feet and exchanging, something that appeared to be working in the seventh. During the period, Lubin knocked Fundora’s mouthpiece halfway across the ring and battered him until he was forced to take a knee.

While Lubin screamed and shouted in the direction of the crowd, he appeared despondent as Fundora rose back to his feet. For the remainder of their contest, Fundora pounded Lubin. And, as he returned to his corner following the completion of each hard-fought round, the swelling around his eyes worsened, the lumps on his nose were more noticeable, and his entire face grew more and more disfigured.

As first reported by BoxingScene.com, after succumbing to Fundora’s power in the ninth, it was revealed that Lubin suffered a broken nose and separated shoulder. Surprisingly, he didn’t endure any other broken bones outside of his nose.

In totality, Lubin showed grit, determination, and a refusal to fold when the going got tough. While he’s received support and an enormous amount of respect from the boxing world for his efforts, Tony Harrison, a former junior middleweight belt holder who also tips his cap to Lubin, believes that even at the age of 26, it could be time for him to hang ’em up.

“Man, listen to me – after this fight, if I’m Lubin, I’m thinking about retiring,” Harrison told BoxingScene.com. “You know what I mean? That’s a tough fight. That’s a tough out. You don’t even recognize him, for real. You know what I’m saying? He gonna be sore in the morning, and ain’t nobody gonna sit with that man but his team. This sport don’t give a f*ck about you. Lubin showed so much grit to me, man, he showed so much dog. And I really haven’t been seeing that from him. To push forward the way he was pushing forward after being knocked down, I salute that man. I salute him. It just lets you know boxing is the toughest sport in the world.”

Lubin was everything Harrison stated and more. His audacious attitude, when faced with an unbridled amount of adversity, has given him all of the respect in the world from his peers. But, it’s also a reminder of the brutality of boxing.

Posted on 04/11/2022

By: Hans Themistode

The biggest smile of his young life was plastered across the face of Sebastian Fundora.

The freakishly tall junior middleweight had mostly steamrolled his competition but had yet to face someone who was viewed as one of the upper echelon of the division…until this past weekend.

The 24-year-old from West Palm Florida, faced easily his stiffest test in the form of fellow highly ranked contender, Erickson Lubin. Though Lubin tested him like no other, including sending Fundora crashing down to the canvas in the seventh round, the 6’6” rising star dusted himself off and went on to pummel his man, resulting in a ninth-round stoppage victory.

With the win, Fundora safely tucked the WBC interim title underneath his arm, making him the mandatory challenger for the upcoming undisputed clash between unified champion Jermell Charlo and WBO titlist, Brian Castano.

Although both men battled to a highly controversial draw during their first meeting in July of 2021, Fundora believes that Charlo will emerge victorious following their May 14th, contest.

If Fundora’s words prove to be prophetic, Charlo would become the division’s first undisputed junior middleweight champion since Winky Wright in 2001. While achieving such a feat would give Charlo a joyous feeling, he won’t be the only one ecstatic over his historic victory.

“If we can just go and take it all from him, that would be great,” said Fundora following his win over Lubin to FightHype.com.

Over the past several years, Houston’s Charlo has truly come into his own. In addition to scoring a first-round knockout victory over Erickson Lubin in 2017, Charlo has also registered wins over Tony Harrison, Jeison Rosario, Austin Trout, and John Jackson.

While the unified stars boxing ability is well chronicled, he’s gained even more notoriety, thanks to his highlight reel-worthy knockouts. With three stoppage victories in three of his past four ring appearances, Charlo believes he’ll violently put an end to his rivalry against Castano come May 14th.

Still, even with Charlo’s propensity for knockout blows and despite maintaining his championship status since 2016, Fundora believes that if he’s granted a shot at Charlo’s world title, he’ll prove to be far too much for the pugnacious star.

“I feel like we get the job done against him too. He’s another fighter that likes to sit there and bang and trust his power. Just like him, we trust our power too, I just think that we’re stronger.”

Posted on 04/10/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Sebastian Fundora has often been the subject of criticism. Standing at nearly 6’6”, the 24-year-old towers over most heavyweights, let alone junior middleweights, the weight class in which he currently competes in.

Although Fundora could use his freakishly tall frame to keep his opponents at bay, he seldom does so. Instead, the Florida native often crouches down, buries his head into the chest of his opponents, and engages in a firefight.

While his bemusing game plan has led to a spotless record through 19 career fights, many were of the belief that his stand and bang approach would play right into the hands of Erickson Lubin. The two waged an all-out war last night at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Known for his moniker, “The Hammer”, Lubin did his best to attack on the outside before landing pernicious shots upstairs. Still, even with Lubin knocking Fundora down for the first time in his career, the newly crowned WBC interim titlist peeled himself up off the deck in the seventh round to register a ninth-round stoppage victory on the night.

Normally stoic following victory, Fundora took the time to pat himself on the back for a job well done.

“I think this was probably my best performance ever,” said Fundora. “It was a back-and-forth fight. He really brought his hammer but I decided to bring my drill.”

As the opening bell sounded, Lubin appeared confident as he stood in his southpaw stance. He connected on several smooth jabs that snapped the head back of Fundora. In addition to his upstairs assault, Lubin also employed a heavy body attack. However, regardless of Lubin’s success and despite Fundora tasting the canvas for the first time in his career, the highly ranked 154 pound contender had Lubin exactly where he wanted him.

Following a slow start in the first, Fundora connected on an uppercut fairly early in the second round. The force of the blow sent Lubin crashing down as a result.

With Fundora landing his money punch, the enormous contender knew that it was just a matter of time until he got Lubin out of there.

“The uppercut was landing like no other. The uppercut is my lucky punch. I’m here in Vegas, so I feel a little lucky, and that’s my lucky punch. It lands most of the time with everybody. Southpaw. Right hand. It doesn’t matter. Once I find that, I feel like the job’s done.”

Posted on 04/08/2022

By: Hans Themistode

While he holds an undefeated record and high placement in each of the four sanctioning bodies, Sebastian Fundora is consistently criticized for the manner in which he fights. Or rather, the manner in which he refuses to fight.

At 6’6”, even heavyweights are forced to look toward the sky as the 154 pound Fundora towers over most individuals. With his mammoth height, Fundora sports the sort of reach that can see him touch whomever he pleases from halfway across the room.

Yet, even though it would be nearly impossible for any junior middleweight to deal with Fundora’s jab, the 24-year-old seldom uses it. Instead, Fundora often crouches low in order to meet his opponent at eye level, and proceeds to engage in a back and forth firefight in the middle of the ring.

Although many in boxing circles have been bemused by Fundora’s refusal to his use naturally God-gifted tools, Fundora is placing his hands over his ears as he is tired of the constant chastisement.

“I throw that in the waste can,” said Fundora when asked if he cares about the criticism surrounding his fighting style to FightHype.com. “The same people that are saying that are the same people that think I can’t even make the weight. I don’t even make the weight, I walk at this weight. It’s not a problem for me to fight inside, it’s not a problem for me to make this weight.”

Fundora’s refusal to box and move on the outside could become music to the ears of Erickson Lubin, his upcoming opponent. At the Virgins Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, this Saturday night, the two will battle it out in a world title eliminator with the WBC interim trinket on the line.

Normally smiling and well-spoken, the well-mannered demeanor of Fundora changes when discussing his upcoming bout. In totality, he understands that his fighting style will continue to be the source of criticism. Nevertheless, no matter what game plan he employs on any given night, like always, he has one goal in mind whenever he steps foot inside the ring.

“That’s the style I like. If I have to switch it up, I’ll do it. If it’s up to me, I’m just going to go in there and try to break your face.”

Posted on 04/08/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Despite suffering his jaw-dropping knockout defeat at the hands of Jermell Charlo in 2017, Erickson Lubin believes that he possesses the most skill at 154 pounds. Still, while Lubin maintains that his fellow junior middleweights should be ranked below him, come Saturday night, he’ll be forced to crank his neck upwards.

On April 9th, at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lubin will have his ax nearby as he attempts to chop down the 6’6” Sebastian Fundora. Aside from just his freakishly tall frame, Lubin admits that he’s seen Fundora up close and personal on several occasions. And, having done so, the 26-year-old tips his cap in the direction of Fundora and what he brings to the table.

“He’s a tall statue of a guy,” said Lubin during a recent press conference. “He’s a good fighter, he comes in shape.”

Thanks to his inordinate height and volume punching, Fundora has overwhelmed his opponents, resulting in an undefeated record through 19 career fights. Most recently, Fundora waged a 12 round war against Sergio Garcia in December of 2021. While he continues to rack up the wins, Lubin has quietly done the same.

Since meeting his early demise at the hands of Charlo nearly five years ago, Lubin has dusted himself off and placed himself firmly in the world title picture, thanks to six consecutive victories. With a stoppage win over former unified champion Jeison Rosario in his most recent trip to the ring, Lubin is now beaming with confidence.

However, regardless of the overwhelming self-belief Lubin is now sporting, oddsmakers have tabbed his upcoming showdown against Fundora as a 50/50 affair. But while the betting public believes their showdown can go either way, Lubin is expecting a lopsided showcase.

“Skills pay the bills. I wanna show that I’m the best at 154 pounds. I’m here to make a statement, I’m here to win in dominant fashion.”

Posted on 04/04/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Appropriately nicknamed “The Towering Inferno”, Sebastian Fundora is unusually tall for the 154-pound division.

Standing at nearly 6’6”, Fundora holds a mountainous height and reach advantage over every single opponent he’s faced in the ring. But while the lanky 24-year-old has used his overwhelming physical advantages to batter his opponents, Kevin Cunningham, head trainer of Erickson Lubin, Fundora’s upcoming opponent, smirks as he turns on the tape of the humongous challenger.

Although Fundora has shown devastating knockout power, he seldom uses his overwhelming height to keep opponents at bay. Instead, the 154-pound contender is more likely to engage in a firefight.

As Cunningham continues to implement what he believes is a fail-proof game plan, he’s somewhat bemused by what Fundora doesn’t do in the ring.

“He doesn’t use his height and reach properly the way he should,” said Cunningham during an interview with Thaboxingvoice.

Desperate for a change and new direction following his stunning first-round knockout defeat at the hands of Jermell Charlo in 2017, Lubin sought the guidance of Cunningham. As a tandem, the pair have been a match made in heaven.

In addition to putting together an undefeated streak, Cunningham has guided Lubin to wins over highly ranked contenders Nathaniel Gallimore and Terrell Gausha, as well as former champions Ishe Smith and Jeison Rosario.

With a world title opportunity just within the pair’s reach, Cunningham believes that Lubin will cut his massive upcoming opponent down to size, en route to picking up the victory at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada this Saturday night, April 9th.

Cunningham’s confidence in Lubin, not only stems from the sweat-filled hours they’ve put in behind the scenes but also, from the uncomplicated puzzle that stands before them.

Amidst Cunningham’s breakdown of Fundora as an overall fighter, he admits that the freakishly large contender does have a few tricks up his sleeve. However, having trained several former and current world champions – including Gervonta Davis, Adrian Broner, Robert Easter Jr., and Devon Alexander – Cunningham believes that Lubin is cut from that same championship cloth.

But, despite the overwhelming belief that Cunningham has in Lubin, he’s attempting to beat into his head the dangers that come with facing Fundora. Ultimately, Cunningham is of the belief that if Lubin quiets the outside noise and focuses on only his voice, victory is guaranteed.

“I’m not saying that he’s an excellent inside fighter,” said Cunningham of Fundora. “He’s just got some nice little uppercuts, trying to catch you coming in so you gotta be careful. Once you there, he ain’t all that on the inside. I’ve seen fighters take advantage of him on the inside.”

Posted on 03/31/2022

By: Hans Themistode

As Erickson Lubin looks back on his career, the 26-year-old realizes that he was entirely too eager to become a world champion.

In 2017, at the age of 21, Lubin brazenly challenged Jermell Charlo for his WBC 154 pound crown. Although the talent was ostensible, Lubin quickly realized that a showdown against Charlo was far too soon, thus suffering defeat via first-round stoppage.

Since then, however, Lubin has dusted himself and worked diligently on his craft, resulting in six consecutive victories. Although Lubin now holds wins over several top contenders such as Nathaniel Gallimore and Terrell Gausha, as well as triumphs over former world champions Ishe Smith and Jeison Rosario, he’s faced with a monumental task, both literally and figuratively, come Saturday, April 9th.

On the night, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lubin will take on Sebastian Fundora. Once the pair officially square off, Lubin will be forced to crank his neck upward as takes on the 6’5 junior middleweight contender. But while Fundora holds an eight-inch height and six-inch reach advantage, Lubin isn’t concerned with his physical dimensions.

“He’s a good fighter,” said Lubin to BoxingScene.com. “I know he comes always ready to fight. He brings the fight to you but as long as he weighs 154 pounds on that scale, that’s all that matters to me. I think skills are everything, if you don’t got skills, you really can’t f*ck with me.”

Despite being gargantuan for the weight, Fundora has seldom used his eye-catching height to keep opponents at bay. Instead, he’s often opted to stand right in front of his opposition and slug away.

For the most part, Fundora’s propensity for high octane bouts has ended badly for his opponents. In three of his past four contests, only Sergio Garcia, his most recent opponent, has reached the final bell.

Regardless of Fundora’s obvious punching power, Lubin shrugs his shoulders as he places the finishing touches on an arduous training camp. With fighters such as Fundora, Tim Tszyu, and Magomed Kurbanov gunning for their shot at a world title, Lubin is prepared to show why his name should be protruding near the top of the line amongst his fellow contenders.

“I’m a show that I’m different from all of these other contenders.”

Posted on 02/10/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Erickson Lubin has done his best to work his way back up the 154 pound ladder. In 2017, at the age of 21, the extremely talented Florida native believed he was ready to begin his championship reign and challenged 154 pound titlist Jermell Charlo. Despite oddsmakers tabbing their contest as a 50/50 affair, Charlo walked right through his man, stopping him in the very first round.

Fast forward roughly five years later, and Lubin has slowly but assuredly gotten back into the championship mix, reeling off six straight wins. Now, the 26-year-old will look to make it seven in a row and solidify himself for another crack at a world title.

As first reported by Boxingscene.com, Lubin is officially set to take on fellow rising contender Sebastian Fundora in the main event of a Showtime-televised event on April 9th. As of now, the venue has not been revealed. Their 154 pound showdown will serve as a WBC title eliminator.

In the mind of the 6’5” Fundora, the 24-year-old believes he’s earned his way to fighting for a world title. While he has mostly dominated the competition, he found himself in a back and forth contest against Spaniard, Sergio Garcia. The two squared off at the tail end of 2021 with Fundora picking up the close unanimous decision win.

Before Fundora and Lubin swap fists in the ring, however, both men will be glued to the television screen one month prior. On March 19th, WBO 154 pound titlist Brian Castano, will face off against unified champion, Jermell Charlo. With the pair battling it out to a controversial draw one year prior, the two have decided to run things back immediately.

Whomever emerges from their contest as an undisputed world champion, will have little time to celebrate as they’ll be mandated to face the winner Charlo vs. Lubin during the second half of the year.