Gabriela Fundora, at just 22, made history on Saturday night, becoming the youngest undisputed women’s flyweight champion in history with a seventh-round TKO over Argentina’s Gabriela Celeste Alaniz at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.
Fundora, who hails from Coachella, California, and is the younger sister of junior middleweight titleholder Sebastian Fundora, celebrated more than just her victory. Her win, in fact, symbolizes a new era for Golden Boy Promotions.
Draped in gold shorts, Fundora paid tribute to her promoter, Oscar De La Hoya – the Hall of Fame fighter and eponymous “Golden Boy” himself – whose legacy she embraced with her ring attire and claim on a new moniker.
“Honestly, I have no words,” Fundora said in the ring. “But, actually, I want to dedicate this fight to Oscar. This is why I wore the gold shorts. He’s making a new era – Golden Boy is now welcoming the ‘Golden Girl.’ This fight was for him.”
De La Hoya, impressed by Fundora’s relentless performance, did not hold back his praise on the DAZN telecast afterward. “I think every fighter should emulate her heart,” De La Hoya said. “When she has somebody hurt, she goes stronger and stronger. Every round that passes by, she wants the knockout. We have a star on our hands. She’s a great person, great fighter and a great ambassador for women’s boxing.”
Fundora’s approach was deliberate, following a plan crafted with her father, Freddy. “She was coming in, a little bit overpowering, but my corner just said to relax, stick to our game plan, and that’s what we did,” Fundora said. “I told my dad, this was the punch I wanted to use to get her knocked out.”
With the win, Fundora extended her record to 15-0 (7 KOs), while Alaniz suffered her second career defeat, falling to 15-2 (6 KOs).
Noting the roar from the crowd that affirmed the fight’s exciting finish, Fundora relished the result. “Listen to how the crowd was – that explains it all,” Fundora said. “I think everybody enjoys a knockout.”
After facing criticism in the past, Fundora believes she silenced any remaining doubters with her skillful display. “There are a lot of people who say I don’t know how to box,” Fundora said. “I think we proved it. We got her a little tired, and then that punch came out beautiful.”
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
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