Sebastian Fundora

Early Life and Amateur Career

 

Sebastian Fundora, known as “The Towering Inferno,” was born on December 28, 1997, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Fundora comes from a boxing family; his father was a professional boxer and his sister also competes professionally. Growing up in a household steeped in the culture of boxing, Fundora was introduced to the sport at a very young age. His unusually tall stature for a boxer, standing at 6 feet 6 inches, gave him a distinctive edge in the ring, which he learned to capitalize on from an early age.

 

Fundora’s amateur career began in earnest when he was a teenager. He competed in various local and national tournaments, quickly gaining recognition for his unique fighting style and effective use of his reach. Although he did not have a lengthy amateur career typical of many professional boxers, his time in the amateur ranks was marked by significant growth and development.

 

One of Fundora’s notable achievements as an amateur was his participation in the 2015 National PAL Championships. His performance in this tournament was a testament to his skills and potential in the sport. Despite facing tough competition, Fundora’s ability to control fights with his jab and maintain distance allowed him to outmaneuver opponents, showcasing the tactical aspect of his game that would become a hallmark of his professional career.

 

Professional Career

 

Sebastian Fundora launched his professional boxing career with a bang on September 24, 2016, when he defeated Jose Cardenas with a first-round knockout. Over the next three years, Fundora built an impressive undefeated record of 12–0, establishing himself as a rising star in the super welterweight division.

 

On February 16, 2019, Fundora faced the then-undefeated Donnie Marshall, securing a victory with a third-round knockout. His momentum continued as he took on another undefeated fighter, Hector Manuel Zepeda, on June 21, 2019, in the main event of Showtime’s “ShoBox: The New Generation” card. Zepeda retired at the end of the fourth round, handing Fundora another win. Later that year, on August 31, Fundora competed for the vacant WBC Youth super welterweight title against Jamontay Clark. The closely contested match ended in a split decision draw.

 

Fundora’s winning streak continued into 2020. On February 22, he faced Daniel Lewis on the undercard of the Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II fight, winning by unanimous decision with scores of 98–92, 99–91, and 97–93. He followed this victory with a sixth-round knockout against Nathaniel Gallimore on August 22, 2020, and ended the year with a second-round knockout win over Habib Ahmed on December 5, 2020.

 

On May 1, 2021, Fundora defeated Jorge Cota with a fourth-round technical knockout, leading 30–27 on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage. He then secured a unanimous decision victory against Sergio Garcia in a WBC super welterweight title eliminator on December 5, 2021, with scores of 115–113, 118–110, and 117–111.

 

The upward trajectory of Fundora’s career continued into 2022. On April 9, he faced Erickson Lubin for the WBC interim super welterweight title in a bout that also served as a WBC title eliminator. Despite being knocked down in the seventh round, Fundora won the fight by a ninth-round stoppage after Lubin’s corner retired him. Fundora successfully defended his WBC interim super welterweight title against Carlos Ocampo on October 8, 2022, winning by unanimous decision.

 

However, on April 8, 2023, Fundora faced an unexpected setback when he lost to Brian Mendoza by a seventh-round knockout, despite leading on the scorecards. In a significant rebound, Fundora faced Tim Tszyu on March 30, 2024, for the vacant WBC title and Tszyu’s WBO super welterweight title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This fight came about after Keith Thurman withdrew due to a training injury. Fundora won this critical bout by split decision, marking another high point in his career.