WBC and WBO junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora is finalizing a fight against #5 Chordale Booker for March on PBC on Prime Video in Las Vegas.
It’s an odd choice by Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs), but he’s been out of the ring for 10 months, coming off an injury, and his attempts at setting up fights against Errol Spence Jr. and Joey Spencer have failed. He would have fought one of those two but was rejected by the World Boxing Organization.
A Strategic Choice
The 33-year-old Booker (23-1, 11 KOs) has been operating below the radar of most fans throughout his nine-year professional career. He stepped up to world class against Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams and was knocked out in the first round on April 30, 2022.
Since then, Booker has returned to fighting lower-level opposition and has won his last six fights against obscure opposition. He’s ideal for Fundora to give him a sure-thing win to get the rust out, but obviously, it’s not a fight that will interest boxing fans. I don’t think he’ll care about that. Holding onto his belts is what’s important.
Few people have heard of Booker because he’s been fighting lesser opposition, and he obviously did poorly when he tried stepping up against top-tier fighters in his first-round blowout loss to Ammo Williams.
Chordale Booker’s last six wins:
– Brian Damaian Chavez (14-6, 5 KOs)
– Greg Vendetti (23-6-1, 12 KOs)
– Julio de Jesus Rodriguez (27-8, 24 KOs)
– Nicolas Hernandez (28-8-3, 12 KOs)
– Daniel Aduku (15-7-1, 11 KOs)
– Angel Hernandez (17-18-3, 11 KOs)
There are many contenders that Fundora could have fought in the top 10 that would have been more appealing, but they’d have been risky.
If Fundora is hoping to hold onto his titles long enough for a big-money fight against Terence Crawford or one of the other fighters, defending against the likes of Booker makes sense. Fundora can play it safe to milk the two titles long enough for Turki Al-Sheikh to pay him a fortune to fight on one of his shows against whoever he chooses.
WBO’s Top 10 Contenders
1. Xander Zayas
2. Charles Conwell
3. Josh Kelly
4. Jorge Garcia Perez
5. Chordale Booker
6. Ardreal Holmes
7. Israil Madrimov
8. Serhii Bohachuk
9. Nikita Tszyu
10. Jesus Ramos
Unified junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora and Chordale Booker are finalizing a March fight in Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN. Fight expected to be streamed on Prime Video.
Booker has won six consecutive fights since a first-round KO loss to Ammo Williams in 2022.
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) January 22, 2025
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