by Oscar Cabrera, Boxing Contributor

The boxing world is buzzing with anticipation as the WBO has mandated that Sebastian Fundora must defend his junior middleweight title against Terence “Bud” Crawford, who secured the interim WBO title earlier this month. Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) stunned fans with an upset victory over Tim Tszyu in March to claim the WBC and WBO titles in Las Vegas. Standing at approximately 6’5″, Fundora towers over Crawford, who is 5’8″, posing a significant challenge in terms of reach and height. Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), fresh off his win over Israil Madrimov to capture the WBA title and interim WBO belt at 154 lbs, has shown he can adapt to higher weight classes.

However, questions remain about his power at junior middleweight, especially against a much taller opponent like Fundora. The two fighters have 30 days to negotiate the bout terms, or a purse bid will be ordered, setting the stage for a thrilling clash.

This bout represents a significant step for Crawford, who recently vacated his WBA welterweight title to focus on his junior middleweight campaign. Crawford’s decision to move up in weight leaves Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) as the WBA’s primary titleholder at welterweight, a title he secured after a hard-fought split decision win over Radzhab Butaev in April 2022. As Crawford prepares to challenge Fundora, the boxing community is eager to see if his exceptional skills and experience can overcome the physical advantages of the towering Fundora. With Crawford’s flawless record and Fundora’s recent triumphs, this mandatory title defense is shaping up to be a highly competitive and electrifying encounter in the junior middleweight division.