The WBO has ordered 154-lb champion Sebastian Fundora to defend against interim champ Terence Crawford next in a unification fight if it happens. The two fighters have 30 days to negotiate a deal before a purse bid is ordered.
Crawford’s Focus: Canelo, Not Fundora
Unfortunately, the WBO’s move might be pointless because the chances of Crawford and Fundora agreeing to this match are slim to none. Crawford, 36. only wants the Canelo Alvarez fight at 168 and nothing else. He’s only looking for big money and supposedly “legacy” at this late-career stage. Fundora would be a difficult fight for Crawford due to his immense size, power, high work rate, youth, and energy.
Crawford has gotten old, and he’s not the same fighter at 154 that he was at 147, 140, and 135. The inactivity hasn’t helped.
If Crawford fights Fundora, he could lose, which would ruin his chances of getting the Canelo golden parachute payday he’s aiming for. He wants that sweet retirement cash, and Fundora would mess it up. Crawford is a spent, faded star, having exhausted his nuclear fuel and about to go supernova.
Fighting Fundora won’t provide Crawford either. Crawford can make more money fighting Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis than Fundora, but he’s looking for the big score all at once against Canelo. Crawford still hopes that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh will deliver him the Canelo fight, and the Mexican star says he’s open to the deal for the right amount of money.
Fundora would be all wrong for Crawford and would batter him worse than he did Erickson Lubin and Tim Tszyu. Crawford wouldn’t be able to count on winning a cheapo decision by jabbing Fundora like he did against Israil Madrimov because he’s too short and will be eating shots all night. If it’s a jabbing contest Crawford wants, Fundora will win that easily.
Canelo sees Crawford as an “easy” fight, and based on his last performance against Israil Madrimov, he’s got a good point. Crawford would be a fish out of the water at 168, and he doesn’t look so hot at 154, either.
So unless Crawford changes his mind, the World Boxing Organization must find another contender to challenge Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs).
Fundora will vacate his WBO if Crawford agrees to this match. The 6’6″ WBC/WBO champion Fundora plans to fight Errol Spence next. That’s a more winnable fight and would make Fundora, 26, more money than a match against Crawford. Spence is a bigger star than Crawford, and a fight between him and Fundora would sell on PPV.
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