The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has ordered that Terence Crawford must fight Fundora and stated that both sides have 30 days to reach an agreement, otherwise the fight will be put out to tender.
Newly crowned WBA half-middleweight titleholder Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 knockouts) could become the first undisputed three-division champion in the four-belt era. By defeating Israil Madrimov, “The Bud” secured the WBO interim belt and with it the right to fight WBO world champion Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 knockouts). Gustavo Olivieri, attorney for the WBO said that the organization is “enforcing their mandatory fight to have only one champion per division”. Should both sides agree on a fight, Olivieri said, it could take place by the end of the year.
Initially, after his win over Madrimov, Crawford had tried to get a fight against three-time super middleweight titleholder Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Crawford reportedly went so far as to tell the Saudi Arabian businessman, Turki Al-Sheikh, that he was taking a “Canelo-or-bust” attitude. That came after Al-Sheikh floated the idea of Crawford next facing unbeaten WBC interim half-middleweight belt holder Vergil Ortiz Jr. But the prospect of a fight against the 26-year-old Fundora is also tantalizing because the Coachella, California, boxer holds the WBC and WBO belts by virtue of his bloody March 30 split-decision triumph over former WBO titleholder Tim Tszyu of Australia.
Via Fundora and Tszyu to the Undisputed champ
Tszyu will fight Russian champion Bakhram Murtazaliev for the IBF belt in the weight class on October 19 in Florida, and Tszyu has repeatedly stated that he is willing to fight anyone in the division. So should Crawford triumph against Fundora, an undisputed fight between “The Bud” and the IBF titlist could follow. Should Crawford become the undisputed three-division champion, he would join the great Henry Armstrong, who accomplished this feat in the 1930s.
Text by Robin Josten