Sebastian Fundora could cold cock a prime Sugar Ray Robinson and the reports the next day would be about his height.
The WBC/WBO super welterweight world champion is tall. At 6 feet 6 inches, he’s not only the tallest champion in the history of his division, he’s the tallest champion in the sport. Taller than unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. Taller than IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois.
He’s taller than all of them.
Focusing solely on his height is like harping on Patrick Mahomes’ scrambling while ignoring that he throws a football better than almost anyone ever has.
Let’s be honest. His opponent, Chordale Booker, is not a Hall of Famer. That said, he’s a tough guy who knows how to survive and make things difficult in the ring if one gives him an opportunity.
Fundora didn’t allow him to ever get started in their bout at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena. Fundora had a 74-25 edge in punches thrown in the first, an ominous stat for Booker, who while giving up 10 inches in height needed to slow down the pace and take away Fundora’s rhythm.
He could do none of that and he was bruised, battered and beaten as a result. Fundora dropped him with three blistering uppercuts, then finished him at 2:51 of Round 4 when referee Thomas Taylor jumped in to save the overmatched Booker any unnecessary punishment.
Fundora is easy to overlook because he doesn’t look physically imposing. He’s built more like Shawn Bradley, absurdly tall, with biceps closer in size to Olive Oyl’s rather than Popeye’s.
He carries with him an omnipresent smile, a look that says he loves life, loves fighting and loves that he gets paid handsomely to do it in front of thousands.
When they showed him on the scale after Friday’s weigh-in?
Smiling.
When they showed him entering the building
Grinning.
And when he entered the ring accompanied by his father/trainer, Freddie, and sister, Gabriela, the undisputed flyweight champion?
Beaming, ear-to-ear.
It was as if he knew what was about to happen.
Booker had never fought anyone remotely near Fundora’s height or skill level and certainly no one who pushes the pace like he does.
Fundora’s philosophy is that best defense is a smothering, attack-oriented offense, and he was walking Booker down from the hop.
Starting a fight with 74 punches in what is often a feel-out round, one in which the fighters are trying to get a sense of the distance, of the opponent’s speed and power, is so Fundora.
But he actually increased his output in the next three rounds. He landed 21 of 84 in the second, 23 of 104 in the third and 24 of 99 in the decisive fourth.
And if Booker expected a big long guy with skinny arms to stay at a distance and flick jabs at him, he was badly mistaken.
Fundora was walking Booker down, methodically taking him apart by mixing his shots shrewdly and never allowing Booker time to adjust.
He ended it by pushing Booker to the ropes and firing three left uppercuts that landed like rockets.
Booker went down after the third, bloodied from the nose and mouth and carrying the signature look of a beaten man.
Almost by rote, he said he wanted to continue, but Fundora showed his ability as a finisher. He immediately pounced when the match resumed, firing leather from all directions at Booker.
A left landed as Booker began to slump and Taylor hopped in. Fundora had made a statement.
“I think maybe [I proved] to the fans that I’m a powerful fighter,” Fundora said. “You know, I always thought I was powerful fighter, but with this fight, I guess it showed even more.”
He’s the king in a loaded division. Vergil Ortiz Jr. is a budding superstar. The WBO just made the highly regarded 22-year-old Xander Zayas his mandatory. Bakhram Murtazaliev holds the IBF belt after bludgeoning Tim Tszyu last year.
There are a lot of great fights that can be made.
Fundora is not invincible. Saturday’s win made him 22-1-1 with his 14th knockout, so he’s shown vulnerability along the way. But he’s only 27 and is just now hitting his prime and gaining his man strength. He’s not so easily pushed around any more.
His jab was hurting Booker, let alone his power shots, and showed that he’s taken his game to another level.
“I don’t think he wanted to trade at all,” Fundora said of Booker. “We were just waiting to wear him down and touch him in the body. I think in the third round, he started slowing down a lot.
“We worked off of that and it worked out.”
So, one last time: He’s tall, and he now stands tallest in one of boxing’s finest divisions.
His height is obvious, but if you’re paying enough attention, you’ll also notice something else that’s becoming plainly obvious:
He’s also damn good.
Ryan Hafey/PBC
Unbeaten Xander Zayas (L) poses with WBC-WBO super welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora after Fundora's TKO of Chordale Booker Saturday in Las Vegas.