In a riveting showdown on Saturday night, Tim Tszyu appeared to be finding his rhythm in the second round, repeatedly landing his right hand and drawing blood from Sebastian Fundora’s nose. However, Tszyu’s momentum took a drastic turn when he inadvertently walked into an elbow from Fundora, resulting in a nasty gash on his forehead and impaired vision.
The cut altered the course of the fight as Fundora utilized a disciplined jab and controlled distance for the remainder of the bout, ultimately securing a split-decision victory to claim the unified WBO and WBC world junior middleweight titles in a grueling contest.
Judges ringside at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas rendered scores of 116-112 for Tszyu, 116-112 for Fundora, and 115-113 for Fundora, with DAZN News scoring it a draw at 114-114.
With this upset triumph, Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) made history alongside his sister Gabriela Fundora, becoming the first brother-sister duo to hold world titles in boxing, with Gabriela holding the IBF flyweight world title.
Reflecting on his victory, Fundora expressed gratitude, stating, “It means the world. Now, I think my dad is going to run for Trainer of the Year.”
Despite suffering his first professional loss, Tszyu displayed sportsmanship, acknowledging Fundora’s victory, “I couldn’t see, but all credit belongs to the man who won tonight.”
Initially gaining momentum against Fundora, Tszyu faced a significant height and reach disadvantage, but the accidental elbow and subsequent forehead gash proved to be decisive factors, impeding Tszyu’s performance as he struggled to keep blood from obstructing his vision.
While both fighters battled through bloodied noses, Fundora’s effective jab allowed him to control the pace and secure rounds, bouncing back from a previous knockout loss.
Following his triumph, Fundora was approached in the ring by Errol Spence, with both fighters expressing willingness to face each other in the future, setting the stage for potential future matchups.
