The WBO has accepted a 10-day extension request from Terence Crawford to continue negotiations with unified junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora. The two fighters have until October 10 to agree before a scholarship offer is ordered.
(Credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing)
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) holds the WBA 154-lb title and interim WBO belts, while the 26-year-old Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) holds the WBC and WBO belts.
At the WBO if yousay Crawford and Fundora have until Oct. 10 to agree to an agreement before a stock exchange is ordered.
It would be a difficult fight for Crawford to face the 6’6″ Fundora, who can punch a little younger, bigger and more active with his career. Fundora is a natural 154-pounder, unlike Crawford, and he is ambitious .
Last August, Crawford came close to losing to WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov in their headliner at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
The fight showed that Crawford was not the same fighter at 154 as he was at 147. Age, inactivity and competing in a larger weight class against better opposition showed that Crawford could not enjoy the same success that he did in the past.
If Crawford defeats the WBC/WBO champion Fundora, he will have three titles at 154 and will only need the IBF title to become the undisputed champion. Winning that title would make Crawford an undisputed three-division champion, which would be impressive for his legacy. The IBF title is held by Bakhram Murtazaliev.
If Tim Tszyu wins the IBF belt, Crawford will have a difficult fight on his hands against him because he punches very hard and could take advantage of his age and lack of size.
This is not a sure win for Crawford because Fundora has talent and is a nightmare to fight due to his size and high production. If former four-division world champion Crawford loses, he can forget about his dream of a mega-payday fight against Canelo Alvarez.
The 37-year-old Crawford recently chose to continue fighting at 154 rather than sit back and wait for unified super middleweight champion Canelo to give him a title shot for his three belts.
There are still good money fights for Crawford at junior middleweight against fighters like Fundora, Tim Tszyu, Vergil Ortiz Jr., and Serhii Bohachuk. However, in order for Crawford to be successful against those younger, stronger and bigger fighters, he has to fight more often than once a year.
Crawford’s goal is likely to capture the undisputed WBO at 154 and not mess with dangerous punchers like Bohachuk and Vergil Ortiz Jr. unless he absolutely has to.
To beat these young lions at 154, Crawford must fight at least twice a year. It won’t work if you stick to your once-a-year routine.
