Unified super welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1) has been ordered to defend his WBO title against the winner of the upcoming Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov bout before the end of the year.
Crawford (40-0) and Madrimov (10-0-1) are slated to meet in Los Angeles on August 3, with the interim WBO title at 154-pounds set to go on the line, in addition to the Uzbekistan fighter’s WBA belt.
The WBO agreed to sanction the fight as an interim title bout due to the injuries suffered by Fundora in his split decision victory over Tim Tszyu last month.
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Fundora suffered a broken nose in the bloody win, which earned him the WBC and WBO titles, ruling him out of action until September.
In response, the WBO have confirmed the Californian will need to face Crawford or Madrimov by the end of the year or the belt will be declared vacant and the interim titleholder elevated to full champion.
The decision is the latest in a period of significant change for the super welterweight division, which less than a year ago saw Jermell Charlo reign as undisputed champion.
Upon entering the ring for his fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Charlo was stripped of the WBO title for failing to fight Tszyu, who was his mandatory challenger and interim champion.
That saw the Australian elevated to full champion with the WBO.
Since then, Tszyu dropped that belt to Fundora, who also added the WBC title to his collection as a late-notice replacement for Keith Thurman at T-Mobile Arena on March 30.
Madrimov picked up the then-vacant WBA strap when knocking out Magomed Kurbanov last month, while Bakhram Murtazaliev did the same with the IBF title when stopping Jack Culcay in early April.
If former undisputed super lightweight and welterweight champion Crawford can defeat Madrimov and Fundora, he’ll likely hold three of the division’s four belts in just two fights at the weight.
Both Tszyu and Fundora’s teams have confirmed there was a rematch clause in place, as well as their wish to run it back.
Tszyu’s camp however believe their man will be ready to return sooner than Fundora and hadn’t ruled out getting at least one more fight in before getting back in there with “The Towering Inferno”.
Given the WBO’s decision, Tszyu will likely need to wait until early-mid 2025 to get a crack at whoever holds the title at that point.
Without a belt to his name, though, the Sydneysider may find it more difficult to make the fights he wants.
