The WBO has accepted Terence Crawford’s request for a 10-day extension to continue negotiations with joint junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora. The two have until October 10 to come to an agreement before the money request is issued.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) holds the WBA 154-lb and WBO interim belts, while the 26-year-old Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) holds the WBC and WBO belts.
On the WBO website, they state that Crawford and Fundora have until October 10 to agree on a deal before a fund bid is received.
It would be a tough fight for Crawford against the 6’6″ Fundora, who can beat the smaller, bigger, and more active of his career. Fundora is a natural 154-pounder, unlike Crawford, and he’s ambitious.
Last August, Crawford narrowly lost to WBA junior middleweight champion Israel Madrimov by head at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
The fight showed that Crawford was not the same fighter at 154 that he was at 147. Age, inactivity, and competing in a bigger weight class against better opposition indicated that Crawford might not enjoy the same success he did in the past.
If Crawford defeats WBC/WBO champion Fundora, he will hold three titles at 154 and will only need the IBF title to become the undisputed champion. Winning the title would make Crawford the undefeated three-division champion, which would make his history much happier. The IBF title is held by Bakhram Murtazaliev.
If Tim Tszyu wins the IBF belt, Crawford will have a tough fight on his hands because he punches hard and may take advantage of his age and lack of size.
This is not a sure win for Crawford because Fundora is skilled and a nightmare to fight due to his size and high output. If the former four-division world champion Crawford loses, he can forget about his dream of fighting Canelo Alvarez.
The 37-year-old Crawford, who just turned 37, is choosing to continue fighting at 154 rather than wait for unified super middleweight champion Canelo to hand him 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 smaller, stronger, and larger fighters, he must fight more often than once a year.
Crawford’s goal could be to hold the WBO unopposed at 154 and not face dangerous boxers like Bohachuk and Vergil Ortiz Jr. unless you have to.
To beat those little lions at 154, Crawford must fight at least twice a year. It won’t work if he sticks to his once-a-year schedule.
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