WBC and WBO Junior Middleweight Champion Sebastian Fundora completes his fight against #5 Chordale Booker for March at PBC on Prime Video in Las Vegas.
It’s an odd choice for Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs), but he’s been out of the ring for 10 months with an injury, and his attempts to arrange fights against Errol Spence Jr. and Joey Spencer failed. . He would have fought one of those two, but the World Boxing Organization rejected him.
A strategic choice
The 33-year-old Booker (23-1, 11 KOs) has operated under the radar of most fans during his nine-year pro career. He achieved 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 opponents and has won his last six fights against obscure opponents. He’s ideal for Fundora to secure him a safe win to shake off the rust, but obviously, it’s not a fight that will interest boxing fans. I don’t think he will care about that. The important thing is to keep his seat belts.
Not many people have heard of Booker because he fought smaller opponents, and he clearly did poorly when he tried to go up against top fighters in his first round loss to Ammo Williams.
Chordale Booker’s last six wins:
– Brian Damaian Chavez (14-6, 5 KOs)
– Greg Vendetti (23-6-1, 12 KO)
– Julio de Jesus Rodriguez (27-8, 24 KOs)
– Nicolas Hernandez (28-8-3, 12 KO)
– Daniel Aduku (15-7-1, 11 KO)
– Angel Hernandez (17-18-3, 11 KO)
There are many candidates that Fundora could have fought in the top 10 that would have been more attractive, but they would have been risky.
If Fundora hopes to hold onto his titles long enough for a big money fight against Terence Crawford or one of the other fighters, a defense against Booker makes sense. Fundora can play it safe to milk two titles long enough for Turki Al-Sheikh to pay him a fortune to fight whoever he chooses on one of his shows.
WBO’s top 10 fighters
1. Xander Zayas
2. Charles Conwell
3. Josh Kelly
4. Jorge Garcia Perez
5. Chordale Booker
6. Ardreal Holmes
7. Israel Madrimov
8. Serhii Bohachuk
9. Nikita Tszyu
10. Jesus Ramos
United junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora and Chordale Booker are wrapping up a March fight in Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN. The fight is expected to be broadcast on Prime Video.
Booker has won six straight since a first-round knockout loss to Ammo Williams in 2022.
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) January 22, 2025
