Sebastian Fundora's promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, has clarified that Fundora must wait for the outcome of Terence Crawford’s junior middleweight title fight on August 3 before committing to his first defense as a unified champion. Reports suggesting that Fundora’s discussed defense against Errol Spence Jr. is postponed are premature. Lewkowicz stated that Fundora is waiting for the WBO mandate, which requires Crawford to fight Fundora next or be stripped of his WBO belt.
Lewkowicz emphasized the importance of Crawford’s upcoming bout against WBA titlist Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles. He stated that Fundora is proud to be the unified champion and that any plans will depend on the results of the August 3 fight. Crawford has shown interest in fighting Saul "Canelo" Alvarez after Madrimov, but Lewkowicz insists that Crawford must choose between Canelo and Fundora after the fight.
In a recent interview, Crawford discussed the politics and business aspects influencing Fundora's potential matchups. Crawford mentioned that despite his initial interest in fighting Fundora, politics and business factors led to discussions of Fundora fighting Spence instead. Crawford highlighted his dominance over Spence with a ninth-round TKO victory a year ago, suggesting that Fundora's interest in Spence may be financially motivated.
Following the WBO's directive, Fundora's team decided to wait for the outcome of Crawford's fight. While there have been inquiries about a potential early fall fight against Spence if Crawford chooses Alvarez, Lewkowicz doubts Spence’s availability. Spence is currently without a trainer and is involved in a legal dispute with his former cornerman Derrick James. Lewkowicz believes Spence is not in training and is unlikely to be ready for an early fall fight.
Lewkowicz concluded that if Crawford opts to fight Canelo, the bout with Fundora will not happen. He suggested that Crawford and Alvarez are both looking to cash in and that the loser of their potential fight should consider retirement.
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