Fundora TKOs Thurman, Likely Ending His Career
By Eddie Sanchez
Sebastian Fundora defended his WBC junior middleweight world title with a dominant sixth-round TKO victory over Keith Thurman. It marked Fundora’s third successful defense, and the first TKO defeat on Thurman’s record.
At 6-foot-5½ with an 80-inch reach, Fundora (24-1-1, 16 KO) used his significant size advantage to control the distance, keeping the 5-9½ Thurman (31-2, 23 KO) at arm’s distance while mixing in punishing body shots that steadily wore down the former champion.
Thurman looked solid in his defense for the most part. He evaded many of the punishing blows in the first three to four rounds. While he was outlanded to that point, he was doing a good job of minimizing damage, and was landing at a much higher rate percentage wise.
The size was too much, and he got worn down in the final two rounds of their fight. The ref stepped in, and Thurman was frustrated that the fight ended this way. One has to wonder if this is the end for the 37-year-old.
The junior middleweight division is now one of the most interesting in boxing, with champions Xander Zayas and Josh Kelly and secondary titleholders Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr. Zayas is rumored to defed against Boots, while both Ortiz and Kelly would offer intriguing matchups for Fundora.
While the dust continues to settle, we will see who Fundora will face next, and how the division will progress.
About The Author
