<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sebastian and Gabriela Fundora compete in separate matches Saturday in Carson.</li><li>The brother-sister combo may well be the toughest siblings in all sports.</li></ul>Sebastian and Gabriela Fundora epitomize the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" more than perhaps any other fighters in <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing</a>.They may look like they'd help your grandma across the street with her shopping, or ace any algebra test you can throw at them, but, make no mistake, the Fundoras can kick all your asses.Insider has reported on <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/sebastian-fundora" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sebastian Fundora</a>'s fighting throughout the year and has become familiar with him inside and outside the ring.At the International Boxing Hall of Fame weekend in June, we saw him in the Canastota museum where he hung out like a regular combat sports fan. He would have blended seamlessly into the crowd if it weren't for his gangly, 6-foot-6 frame.The way he looks, and talks, is a sharp contrast to who he is inside the ring as we witnessed his savagery earlier this year in April, when <a href="https://www.insider.com/erickson-lubin-and-sebastian-fundora-engaged-in-instant-boxing-classic-2022-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he bludgeoned Erickson Lubin in what remains, for us, the Fight of the Year</a>.Sebastian returns Saturday for a super welterweight fight against Carlos Ocampo at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson for a Premier Boxing Champions event broadcast on Showtime.But he's not the only Fundora fighting that night as, earlier in the evening, Gabriela steps through the ropes for a bout of her own.Judging by the way Sebastian talks, it's Gabriela we should be worried about as he claims she's the better fighter.<h2>The Fundoras may well be the toughest siblings in all sports</h2><div type="image" title="Sebastian and Gabriela Fundora." height="1333" width="2000" msid="94731021" hostid="261" sizebytes="162710"></div>The way Fundora performed against Lubin showed, on a big stage in Las Vegas, that he had the heart required to overcome challenging moments against a proven puncher, and the ability and skillset to stamp his authority against a top-tier opponent.The 24-year-old has long been touted as one of boxing's best prospects in previous years but after the Lubin knockout, in which he boxed viciously from close range rather than rely on his height and reach to pick him off with shots from distance, Fundora showed that he's the division's scariest contender to the undisputed champion Jermell Charlo.But he has hinted through the months to Insider that he may not even be the toughest fighter in his own family — that could be Gabriela."I'm very excited she's fighting on my card as she's got such a big future in women's boxing," Sebastian told Insider ahead of his Saturday fight, and Gabriela's match against Naomi Arellano Reyes."With women's boxing on the rise it's great that Showtime is putting on these events because these girls deserve the platform."There's never been a doubt in my mind that she'd become a world champion," he said.When we told Gabriela about her brother's assessment, she said: "You know what? Sebastian is a very wise man — he got that right."<h2>A sibling rivalry drives the Fundoras forward</h2><div type="image" title="Gabriela Fundora." height="1361" width="2000" msid="94731023" hostid="261" sizebytes="104242"></div>Ever since they were kids, Sebastian and his Gabriela, 20, were always trying to one-up each other."He keeps me on my toes, that's for sure," said Gabriela.Even when they were at school, one of the Fundoras would come home with their report card knowing they had straight-A grades, and look at their siblings to check if they'd dropped to a B.Whoever had the best grades would have "bragging rights" for the rest of the year.Their competitiveness extended into video games like Mario Kart, chess, and even the running track where they'd try to outdo each other's personal best times.According to Sebastian, he's the better chess player. He says he's cerebral, trying to implement strategy. Gabriela, she said, has seen 'The Queen's Gambit' and derives her expertise from that.If you speak to Gabriela, she'll be happy to tell you about their karaoke battles — something Sebastian, perhaps conveniently, failed to.She sings ABBA, David Bowie, and Elton John. "I love the classics," she said, before calling Sebastian "a little shy" on the microphone, before he eventually belts out Guns N' Roses, ACDC, and Metallica."I am much better," she said.<h2>They are both determined to deliver fireworks with their knockout power this weekend</h2><div type="image" title="Sebastian Fundora and Erickson Lubin delivered a David vs. Goliath boxing classic." height="2001" width="3000" msid="94731024" hostid="261" sizebytes="220366"></div>Women's boxing is on the rise, with athletes like Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, and Claressa Shields generating mainstream attention on both sides of the Atlantic.Gabriela is one of the new generations and hopes to lead "a whole new level of boxing that's evolving a lot and becoming bigger."Gabriela's goal ahead of her flyweight fight is to win, in style, and then return backstage to help Sebastian prepare for his bout against Ocampo.She said: "I want fireworks and put on a good show for the public."Sebastian, too, is used to delivering fireworks considering his explosive win over Lubin, and wants to do the same to Ocampo before they celebrate as a family by watching their beloved LA Rams team take on the Cowboys on Sunday.Weeks later, they'll be taking their mom and family on a cruise, leaving from Long Beach and vacationing along the Mexican beaches.The way they both talk, they want to share their successes together because, despite their rivalry, they have the same dream — to become world boxing champions at the same time."That dream is becoming a reality," Sebastian told us. "And it's so great to experience that with my sister. Who else do you want to be there with you than your sibling?"I want my sister there, always."

Sebastian and Gabriela Fundora are likely the toughest siblings in all sports

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13569989" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sebastian-fundora" source="Orion">Sebastian Fundora</keyword> and <keyword id="13569988" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="erickson-lubin" source="Orion">Erickson Lubin</keyword> fought an instant classic <keyword id="11922196" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boxing" source="Orion">boxing</keyword> match Saturday.</li><li>Lubin went to a local hospital after the fight to have his injuries assessed.</li></ul>LAS VEGAS — <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/erickson-lubin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Erickson Lubin</a> wore the wounds of war after nine grueling rounds of fighting during a Premier <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boxing</a> Champions on Showtime event that took place Saturday inside the theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.His nose was crooked, his eyes were swollen to grotesque proportions because of horrific bruising, and his mouth was bloody. <a href="https://www.insider.com/erickson-lubins-face-is-proof-you-dont-play-boxing-2022-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Close-up photos showed the extent of Lubin's injuries</a> on the night.He'd just gone toe-to-toe with rising super welterweight star <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/sebastian-fundora" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sebastian Fundora</a> in a wildly competitive back-and-back battle in which both fighters exchanged knockdowns and nasty slugs for a 27-minute duration.Lubin's head trainer Kevin Cunningham told the referee Russell Mora to stop the fight before the 10th round, which <a href="https://www.insider.com/erickson-lubin-and-sebastian-fundora-engaged-in-instant-boxing-classic-2022-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thus awarded Fundora the technical knockout win</a>.Insider confirmed with a source on the scene that, because of the damage Lubin took, he was shuttled to the UMC Trauma Center for further observation.<a href="https://www.boxingscene.com/lubin-suffered-broken-nose-separated-shoulder-brutal-battle-with-fundora--165424?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to Boxing Scene</a>, he returned to his hotel Sunday after x-rays confirmed he had a broken nose. He also had a separated right shoulder that will require surgical treatment.Despite the severe swelling around his eyes, Lubin did not suffer any fractures to his orbital bones, the report said.Regardless, he will be out of action for quite some time.In defeat, Lubin's pro boxing record fell to 24 wins (17 knockouts) against two losses.Fundora, meanwhile saw his pro record rise to 19 wins (13 knockouts) against one draw.To Insider and other reporters at a post-fight media scrum, <a href="https://www.insider.com/erickson-lubins-face-is-proof-you-dont-play-boxing-2022-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fundora said he did not know whether Lubin would be the same again.</a>However, he added: "I wish him the best and a quick recovery."

Sebastian Fundora broke American boxing rival Erickson Lubin's nose during high-octane battle Saturday

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13569988" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="erickson-lubin" source="Orion">Erickson Lubin</keyword>'s face was a bloody mess after his fight Saturday against <keyword id="13569989" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sebastian-fundora" source="Orion">Sebastian Fundora</keyword>.</li><li>Lubin and Fundora exchanged knockdowns in a bout hailed as an instant classic.</li></ul>LAS VEGAS — <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/erickson-lubin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Erickson Lubin</a>'s face was grotesquely disfigured after fighting <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing</a>'s rising star <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/sebastian-fundora" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sebastian Fundora</a>.Their super welterweight war Saturday at the off-strip Virgin Hotels property in Las Vegas has been <a href="https://www.insider.com/erickson-lubin-and-sebastian-fundora-engaged-in-instant-boxing-classic-2022-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hailed as an instant classic</a> as it featured knockdowns from both fighters and unreleting brutal but brilliant action.After 27 minutes of grueling combat, Lubin's trainer Kevin Cunningham told the referee Russell Mora to stop the competitive 154-pound slobberknocker.By that point, both fighters combined to throw 1,074 punches.Fundora landed 255 of his 706 punches for a 36% accuracy, according to Compubox data sent to Insider. Most of his shots were power punches and he connected with 233 of his 541 attempts.His best attacks were from close-range despite being 6-foot-6 and having a clear advantage if he had kept the fight at a distance.But his inside fighting was remarkable. Lubin was there to be hit with uppercut after uppercut and, before long, there was significant bruising around both eyes.It looked like his nose was broken, too.Here's what Lubin looked like before the fight:<div type="image" title="Erickson Lubin looked in incredible form at the pre-fight weigh-in Friday." height="1333" width="2000" msid="90760559" hostid="261"></div>This is what he looked like after:<div type="image" title="Erickson Lubin's face was a wreck by the end of the fight." height="696" width="928" msid="90760560" hostid="261"></div><h2>You don't play <keyword id="11922196" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boxing" source="Orion">boxing</keyword></h2><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1513019064699998208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote><h2>If Lubin's face showed the horror in defeat, Fundora's showed the elation in victory</h2><div type="image" title="Sebastian Fundora and his team celebrate his win." height="1333" width="2000" msid="90760561" hostid="261"></div>"His face was too swollen," Fundora told reporters and Insider during a post-fight media scrum. "There's no way he can see out of his eyes."Prior to fighting Fundora, Lubin had won six matches in a row after a first-round knockout loss to Jermell Charlo five years ago."I know he's been thinking about how people make fun of his chin … but he's a tough fighter."When asked if Lubin can ever be the same again, Fundora replied: "I don't know. I wish him the best and a quick recovery."Insider confirmed with a source on the scene that Lubin was taken to UMC Trauma Center for further observation immediately after the fight.In victory, Fundora advanced his pro boxing record to 19 wins (13 knockouts) against one draw.He also is now in position to face the winner of the May 14 showdown between Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano, which is a bout that has all the major super welterweight world championships on the line.The Premier Boxing Champions event was broadcast on Showtime.

A before-and-after shot of Erickson Lubin's face is proof that you don't play boxing

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A super welterweight <keyword id="11922196" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boxing" source="Orion">boxing</keyword> match got nasty Saturday night and delivered in impeccable fashion.</li><li><keyword id="13569989" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sebastian-fundora" source="Orion">Sebastian Fundora</keyword> and <keyword id="13569988" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="erickson-lubin" source="Orion">Erickson Lubin</keyword> topped a seven-fight PBC on Showtime card in Las Vegas.</li></ul>LAS VEGAS — <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boxing</a>'s thriving super welterweight division took center stage Saturday during a Premier Boxing Champions event broadcast on Showtime from the theater inside Virgin Hotels, Las Vegas.Sebastian Fundora and Erickson Lubin topped the seven-bout card with good reason, as they produced a David vs. Goliath firefight so electric it will go down as an instant boxing classic.Lubin lost by first-round knockout to Jermell Charlo five years ago but <a href="https://www.insider.com/erickson-lubin-deliveres-boxing-masterclass-in-rebounding-from-ko-loss-2022-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has, in the years since, been delivering a masterclass in how to rebound from a humiliating defeat</a>.Though Fundora halted his winning run on the night, Lubin's stock will no doubt rise for the heart he showed to fight despite a disfigured face. That's what you get when you share the ring with rising star Fundora.In a bout in which Lubin surrendered a significant height advantage, he wobbled the taller man with his solid punching early in the first round.Fundora, a freak of nature, refused to box tall. Rather than rely on his 6-foot-6 frame at super welterweight, he fought with authority from close range, whipping left hands into Lubin's midsection, uppercuts to the jaw, and generally had the edge when he put his punches into bunches.Sensing how to fight Fundora, Lubin pushed him away and hit the fighter from mid-range, even wobbling him once again.But all this did was rally Fundora, who showed great recuperative ability, fought fire with fire, and scored a knockdown of his own mere seconds from the end of the second round after a barrage of uppercuts.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1513011602605297672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote><div type="image" title="Sebastian Fundora scored a first-round knockdown." height="1334" width="2000" msid="90757788" hostid="261"></div>Lubin was lucky the round was almost over because if the knockdown had happened midway through, he'd likely never have recovered.But he had 60 seconds on his stool and that was enough to throw with bad intentions in the third round in a fight that had everything required to be a 'Fight of the Year' contender.It was hell for those involved but heaven for fans watching in the crowd, for media on press row, and those watching at home.Fundora dominated when fighting inside while Lubin scored well with singular power shots mid-range and further afield.From the fourth round onwards the pace started to lag behind the badass slobberknocker that unfolded in the opening quarter.But Bodyshots were still landing all over the place, jaws were cracked for good measure, and Lubin's facial bruising became horrific to look at.Despite a rearranged face and likely broken nose, Lubin still had the eye-hand coordination, power, and accuracy to put Fundora on the floor in the seventh with shot after shot.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1513017987808174087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote>Lubin's desire to throw had been beaten out of him in rounds eight and nine, though. And upon completion of the ninth, Lubin's trainer Kevin Cunningham stopped the fight, thus awarding Fundora the technical knockout win.With victory, Fundora advanced his pro boxing record 19 wins (13 knockouts) against one draw."I think this was probably my best performance ever," Fundora said post-fight. "It was a back-and-forth fight. He really brought his hammer, but I decided to bring my drill. The uppercut was landing like no other."The uppercut is my lucky punch," he added. "I'm here in Vegas, so I feel a little lucky, and that's my lucky punch. It lands most of the time with everybody. Southpaw. Right hand. It doesn't matter. Once I find that, I feel like the job's done."On the stoppage, Fundora said: "I think it was a good decision for Kevin Cunningham to stop the fight. His face shifted from round one to round nine."It completely morphed and there was a lot of blood coming out. He's a tough fighter. He was in the game the whole time but there's no need to get hurt that much."<h2>Harrison and Garcia brought great energy to their 154-pound ruck</h2><div type="image" title="Tony Harrison boxed to a tee against Sergio Garcia." height="1334" width="2000" msid="90757789" hostid="261"></div>A crossroads fight between <keyword id="13570608" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tony-harrison" source="Orion">Tony Harrison</keyword> and Sergio Garcia delivered great energy Saturday as both boxers performed like their careers near the top of the sport were on the line.Harrison landed eye-catching flurries, pinging off well-placed shots in quick succession, and made Garcia miss big shots of his own.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Premier Boxing Champions (@premierboxing) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1512996900370202627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote>Garcia, though, was unrelenting, and constantly moved his feet forward so he rarely let Harrison take a moment to breathe.He landed sharp counters and only occasionally seemed perturbed by Harrison's attacks, but by the fight's midway point the American dominated the action and put a considerable number of rounds in the bank.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1512999094121287681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote>One of the things that won Harrison the fight was his expert appreciation of space.It seemed like he knew where Garcia wanted to throw punches from — short range — and exploited that by moving in and out of his opponent's danger zone while landing solid shots of his own.Harrison's majestic footwork, his intuitive head movement, and his dazzling shot selection were all on display against Garcia.It was a much-needed reminder to the boxing industry that he is still that dude, and capable of scoring big wins after a knockout loss to Jermell Charlo and a draw to <keyword id="13585580" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bryant-perrella" source="Orion">Bryant Perrella</keyword> in back-to-back fights in the last three years.<div type="image" title="Tony Harrison dominated Sergio Garcia at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas." height="1334" width="2000" msid="90757790" hostid="261"></div>By the fight's end, Harrison landed a considerable amount of shots according to Compubox data sent to Insider.He tallied 197 of his 491 punches for a 40% accuracy, landing half of his more powerful strikes (88 from 173). He also limited Garcia to 103 shots landed from his 592 attempts (17%).True to how Insider saw the fight, the three ringside judges awarded Harrison with a unanimous decision win with two scores of 100-90 and another of 98-92."Muscles is the way of the streets, but skills pay the bills," Harrison said post-fight, in a statement sent to Insider."He was swinging for the fences. When he was missing shots, all I heard was 'whoosh!' [as the shots fizzed away from his head]. I felt it. I was trying to throw a few more counter shots in between. My composure was everything."Victory advanced Harrison's pro boxing record to 29 wins (21 knockouts) against three losses and a draw.<h2>Fifth round sole highlight in Salgado's draw with Perrella</h2><div type="image" title="Bryant Perrella lands a punch on Kevin Salgado." height="1334" width="2000" msid="90757791" hostid="261"></div>A nasty left hook launched in the fifth round that sent Salgado off-balance was the sole highlight in a relatively uneventful 10-round bout that introduced Showtime's televised card from the theater inside the Virgin Hotels.Competing for the first time on an American canvas, Salgado had a chance to add his name to Mexico's rich contribution to boxing, but fell short because of Bryant Perrella's trickery.With boxing great Roy Jones Jr. in his corner, Perrella said through fight week that they had been preparing for Salgado by drilling an assertive jab.But as the rounds wore on, he showed more than that as he landed the punch of the night midway through the match.Watch it right here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1512983312800915461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote>Perrella found a home for his uppercut in the sixth, kept working his southpaw jab from a wide stance, and was looking more comfortable in the ring the longer the fight wore on.Though Insider regarded Perrella's work to have been superior on the night, the three judges disagreed and could not split the two boxers, awarding a split draw with scores of 97-93 for Perrella, 96-94 for Salgado, and an even card of 95-95.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1512989769520799744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></blockquote>Neither fighter was happy with the result."I was shocked by the decision," said Perrella in a statement sent to Insider. "I put my all into this and I get robbed at the end of the day. It's a tough pill to swallow. You know I easily outboxed him. He barely landed any punches."Compubox data sent to Insider supports Perrella's claim as the computerized punches scoring system counted 98 shots landed from 503 thrown for Perrella (20%), compared to 68 from 375 (18%) for Salgado."I thought my gameplan and execution was great," Perrella continued. "I boxed smart. I broke him down."He was just winging big shots any time I would step in just trying to knock me out with one punch. I kept the jab in his face. Jabs to the body. Left hands. I hurt him. Everything was going great and it looked like I was sweeping all the rounds."Salgado disagreed. "I felt like I won," he said. "All Perrella did was run around and away from me … Perrella kept throwing his jab but almost never connected."He added: "I think that tonight was definitely a positive step in the right direction towards becoming the next Mexican star in the United States, and I look forward to pleasing the fans with more Mexican-style fights in the future."<div type="image" title="Kevin Salgado returns fire on Bryant Perrella." height="1334" width="2000" msid="90757792" hostid="261"></div>Premier Boxing Champions on Showtime returns April 16 for a pay-per-view offering at the AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.Errol Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas top an 11-bout card in a bout that has three welterweight world championships on the line.Radzhab Butaev fights Eimantis Stadionis, Cody Crawley boxes Josesito Lopez, and Isaac Cruz fights Yuriorkis Gamboa earlier in the show.

A David vs. Goliath boxing match delivered an instant Fight of the Year contender in Las Vegas

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13569988" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="erickson-lubin" source="Orion">Erickson Lubin</keyword> suffered a humiliating first-round knockout loss in 2017.</li><li>He returned to his locker room sad but never felt less of himself, he said.</li></ul>LAS VEGAS — It's 2017 and Floridian fighter Erickson Lubin had flown to New York for the biggest fight of his life, having only trained for five weeks.He was 22 years old, and though some in the industry regarded the step up to be too much, too soon for Lubin, a shot at Jermell Charlo's WBC light middleweight championship proved impossible to resist. Lubin dared to be great from a young age.Greatness that night was instead thrust upon Charlo, as he stiffened Lubin's body with a thunderous uppercut 29 seconds before the end of the opening round.It was a shot so powerful and so accurate that it dropped Lubin in an instant. The referee didn't even bother counting — there was no getting up from that.In <keyword id="11922196" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boxing" source="Orion">boxing</keyword>, defeats like these can be seen as career-crushing because the sport seems to cling to the aura that comes with being unbeaten.We've always heard about "protecting yourself at all times," but a new, unofficial motto of "protect your 0 at all times," had emerged, too. Losses are bad. Knockouts can be worse.And so Lubin felt saddened when the reality of defeat dawned on him when he returned to his locker room.<h2>Lubin rises again</h2><div type="image" title="Jermell Charlo dropped Erickson Lubin with a first-round, fight-finishing uppercut." height="1334" width="2000" msid="90714410" hostid="261"></div>But that night didn't spell the end of Lubin's career; five years on, the American has put together a string of six wins from six fights — some against considerable opponents.He's beaten Terrell Gausha. He's dominated Jeison Rosario. "I'm fighting guys other people are too scared," Lubin told Insider days before he returns to the ring for a WBC interim title shot against <keyword id="13569989" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sebastian-fundora" source="Orion">Sebastian Fundora</keyword>."These top guys are just building me up to when I'm going to be champion. And when I become a champion, I'll be able to proudly say I beat this guy, that guy, every guy that's in the top 10, or top 5 in the division."Lubin is delivering a master class in how to rebound from one of the most humiliating nights a fighter can suffer."I jumped into the Charlo fight a little too soon, maybe," Lubin said.He refused to let the knockout loss define him, though, and he felt motivated to rise again. "It was definitely a sad moment, but it never brought me down to where I thought less of myself. It made me hungrier."Lubin used the time out after the loss to bond with his young son and socialize with friends, but it was not long before he got right back into the gym with trainer Kevin Cunningham and developed a plan to return to the top."I know my skillset, I know how determined I am, and I know how good I am. So I got right back to it. I got with Kevin, and it's been all guns blazing ever since."Lubin told Insider he "always knew" that he had what it takes to win on the big stage. The difference between now and 2017 is a question of maturity, he said."Maturity, man — I just feel like I've been maturing because I always knew I had the skillset, the power, the confidence, and the motivation. I had it all … the full package."Cunningham's been drilling things Lubin does well, adding things to his arsenal that he doesn't, and has been teaching him about the business of boxing."I moved away from my hometown, got with Kevin, and I understand the business a lot more."So far, it's worked. Victory on Saturday, at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas in an event broadcast on Showtime, will see the Lubin-Fundora winner move into a mandated shot at the WBC title.The stakes are once again high for Lubin, but he by no means sees Fundora — a 6-foot-6, 154-pounder who was recently regarded as a prospect of the year contender — as the toughest test of his career. He's had plenty of those already."His height is a little different," Lubin said. However, he seemed unfazed at the prospect of navigating a height difference, having boxed taller opponents in the amateurs, and recruited sparring partners who are that tall, too.He's even brought in Jamontay Clark, who earned a draw in a 2019 fight against Fundora that took place in Minneapolis. "I think he won that fight," Lubin said of Clark, whose intel on Fundora could prove significant.<h2>Lubin wants to win, before seeking out more big names</h2><div type="image" title="Sebastian Fundora is one of the tallest fighters in the light middleweight division." height="1334" width="2000" msid="90714411" hostid="261"></div>Lubin and Cunningham haven't just been talking up a win, they've been talking up a knockout of their own. They want to win, yes, but they want to do so in style."I'm confident," Lubin said. "I'm always going into these fights confident just because of the way I train. We're locked in, and we've got a job to handle come Saturday."From there, he wants to get in more fights, but only if they have one thing — a big name."I definitely want to be more active, maybe fighting two or three times this year," he said. "I still want the big fights against the best names possible."Despite that defeat, Lubin continues to dare to be great.

American boxer Erickson Lubin is on the cusp of delivering a master class in how to rebound from a KO loss

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="10386041" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sebastian-fundora">Sebastian Fundora</keyword> was supposed to fight Jorge Cota on Saturday, but the latter tested positive for the coronavirus and so had to withdraw from the weekend's big <keyword id="6362171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boxing">boxing</keyword> show.</li><li>Cota has been replaced by Habib Ahmed but the new opponent won't likely faze Fundora.</li><li>This is because Fundora told Insider recently that he wasn't training specifically for Cota and was focusing more on what he can bring to the ring.</li><li>Fundora and Ahmed contest a 154-pound match on a <keyword id="9692340" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="premier-boxing-champions">Premier Boxing Champions</keyword> card broadcast by Fox <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">Sports</keyword> pay-per-view.</li><li>The Arlington, Texas, event is headlined by the welterweight world title fight between Errol Spence Jr. and Danny Garcia.</li></ul>Sebastian Fundora, a 22-year-old athlete dubbed "The Towering Inferno," will likely be unfazed about the late opponent switch ahead of his fight Saturday.The youngster was supposed to compete against Jorge Cota in a super welterweight match on the undercard of the Premier Boxing Champions event in Arlington, Texas, which is broadcast on Fox Sports pay-per-view.However, Cota tested positive for the coronavirus just days before the competition, <a href="https://www.ringtv.com/614364-sebastian-fundora-to-face-habib-ahmed-on-spence-garcia-card-jorge-cota-out-with-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Ring reported midweek</a>, and so a former world title challenger called Habib Ahmed was recruited to replace him.The late switch probably won't have affected Fundora because he told us late last month that he wasn't specifically training for Cota, but rather focusing on what he does best.Fundora is a natural athlete, is 6-foot-6 and is often mistaken for college basketball players. He told us that if it weren't for boxing, he'd have loved to have been a long distance runner.During those runs, he puts his headphones on, listens to rock or country, and focuses on the strategy he'll be implementing in the upcoming fight."I'm more focused on my performance," he told Insider when we asked him about Cota a few weeks ago."I'm more in tune with what I'm going to do, how I'm going to display myself, and how I'm going to win this fight."Fundora is still growing, he said. Just not upwards, but outwards. He's adding muscle to his frame, and told us he's learning how to mix it up on the inside, as well as utilizing his height and reach from mid-range and the outside."I feel my body growing into the weight class," said Fundora."I'm tall, but I'm also skinny so I've got my muscle coming in. I'm learning more things in the ring, how to place my feet, how to maintain a good distance. Maybe not the long distance, but to use what I have in the way that fits me."He said growing-up, people would try to fight him on the inside thinking it would put him at a disadvantage, so he learned to defend from those positions."We've been tall this whole time, it wasn't something that came out of nowhere," he said."I've been tall since a teenager. People would always try to fight on the inside so I had to learn how to fight on the inside rather than just backing up, and let them take advantage of me."Fundora finished by remarking that he's unconcerned about what's next, is thinking only about winning Saturday, and will only then look at 2021 and beyond."We'll see what my promoter and team has in store for me," he said. "The sky's the limit."Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/derrick-james-inside-the-mind-of-errol-spence-boxing-trainer-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inside the mind of one of boxing's greatest brains ahead of his fighter Errol Spence Jr.'s world title defense against Danny Garcia</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/errol-spence-defeats-danny-garcia-by-decision-shawn-porter-says-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shawn Porter said a fighter can do certain things to recover from a brutal KO, and though the horror crash Errol Spence Jr. suffered last year would have impacted training, he still picks him to beat Danny Garcia</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/danny-garcia-mother-being-a-boxers-mom-extremely-nerve-wracking-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">'Being a mother of a boxer is extremely nerve-wracking,' Danny Garcia's mom said ahead of Errol Spence Jr. fight</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/errol-spence-on-returning-to-normal-after-ferrari-crash-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America's best boxer said it took 4 sparring sessions to return to normal after crashing his $300,000 Ferrari at high-speed</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/josesito-lopezs-boxing-and-life-mission-to-keep-on-trucking-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Action fighter Josesito Lopez's mission in boxing and in life is to keep on trucking</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/shawn-porter-fancies-wbo-title-fight-with-terence-crawford-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shawn Porter fancies a fight with Terence Crawford but says he has other welterweight world title options, too</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/weve-entered-a-golden-era-of-boxing-exhibitions-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We've officially entered a golden era of showbiz boxing, and it's all down to Mike Tyson, Jake Paul, and Floyd Mayweather</a>

Why 22-year-old 'Towering Inferno' Sebastian Fundora will be unfazed about the late opponent switch on the big PBC card Saturday

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia on April 22 in Las Vegas will be one of the year's big boxing events.</li><li>The fight, which will air on Showtime Sports PPV, will be a glamorous and celebrity-studded affair.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/gervonta-davis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gervonta Davis</a> made <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ryan-garcia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ryan Garcia</a> wait a couple of hours as the lightweight boxer turned up late to Wednesday's press conference in New York City wearing a brightly-colored fur coat while clutching a designer handbag.Fight fans have been waiting months, if not years, for a mega-fight like this to get booked so a little delay didn't really matter.<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boxing</a> rarely gets as big as it will get in the build-up to the 136-pound showdown on April 22 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas."This is the biggest fight that boxing can make," Garcia, 24, told Insider this week."It's the type of event that gets fans really excited, and we haven't seen this type of match for some time," Stephen Espinoza, the president of Showtime Sports and a key organizer of the event, said in an interview with Insider.The show brings together two of the most popular fighters in the modern era — a mini <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mike-tyson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Tyson</a> in "Tank" Davis, 28, against the explosive Amir Khan-esque speed of "KingRy" Garcia.It's a dream match."It's going to be massive," Espinoza continued. Though no legitimate championship is on the line, there are arguably even greater stakes at play.Whoever wins will be regarded as the face of the sport, and the go-to athlete to grace the covers of everything from magazines to video games.These are fighters who are beginning to transcend the sport already as they're on the phone lists of rappers, influencers, and high-stakes poker players.A victory next month — in front of an event in which celebrities will no doubt dress to the nines — raises their name value even further in the mainstream consciousness."If he we go by the unofficial indicators like ticket requests, we're off to a really hot start," Espinoza told Insider. "I've been flooded with requests from celebrities, athletes, and everyone else since the fight was announced."This is the hottest ticket in town, and for Garcia's promoter <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/oscar-de-la-hoya" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oscar de la Hoya</a>, who spoke to reporters in Los Angeles on Thursday to complete a two-city promo tour this week, it's "what boxing is all about."<h2>How this fight came to be while others seemed to fail</h2><div type="image" title="Gervonta Davis." height="1333" width="2000" msid="98570278" hostid="261" sizebytes="149474"></div>Insider reported last year that two super fights to transcend the sport were being negotiated.<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/terence-crawford" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Terence Crawford</a> vs. <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/errol-spence-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Errol Spence Jr.</a>, which would have brought together America's two best boxers to determine a No.1 fighter at welterweight — if not the entire sport — <a href="https://www.insider.com/errol-spence-jr-says-terence-crawford-definitely-happens-this-year-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was one</a> of those fights.Davis vs. Garcia, which showcases two prominent and unbeaten fighters in their 20s colliding in potentially explosive fashion, is another.The former <a href="https://www.insider.com/spence-crawford-how-boxings-biggest-fight-collapsed-at-final-hour-2022-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saw one of the fighters, Crawford, walk away from a deal he proposed</a>, per two Insider sources at the time.This blindsided Spence's representatives as Crawford signed a one-fight deal with start-up company BLK Prime to instead compete against European boxer David Avanesyan.The difference between that fight and the Davis and Garcia bout was that these two fighters always wanted to compete against one another, sources told Insider.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Al Dawson (@AlanDawsonSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1634220206179651585">March 10, 2023</a></blockquote>Regardless, there were still obstacles to overcome as the negotiations involved rival representatives — Premier Boxing Champions and Golden Boy Promotions — and rival broadcasters in Showtime Sports and DAZN.A representative of Davis' at the time, Leonard Ellerbe, had numerous meetings with Golden Boy President Eric Gomez in Los Angeles to smooth the boxing side of the negotiation, according to two Insider sources.Gomez even confirmed to Insider in October that <a href="https://www.insider.com/ryan-garcia-gervonta-davis-in-deep-talks-for-boxing-fight-2022-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they were in "deep talks" to make the super-fight</a> a reality.Once they agreed to a deal in principle, executives at Showtime and DAZN had to get on the same page regarding the broadcast of the event, and how best to deliver the pay-per-view.Showtime will lead the pay-per-view with its commentary team, with DAZN broadcasting it on its platform, too.<h2>There were times Garcia feared negotiations for his fight would fail</h2><div type="image" title="Ryan Garcia." height="1333" width="2000" msid="98570280" hostid="261" sizebytes="125396"></div><a href="https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/35603864/plans-bout-davis-garcia-not-complete" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN reported</a> in February that concerns over a rematch clause held up the announcement of a deal. It all, allegedly, came down to which side would control the second fight — if there ever was one.According to sources Insider spoke to at the time, that was never an impediment to the fight happening as planned to all of whom had knowledge of the situation.Depending on whether one spoke to people on the Golden Boy-DAZN side of things, or on the PBC-Showtime side, the complete deal — at that point — was either "99% done" or "done, done."Regardless, there were times when Garcia himself lost confidence the fight would materialize. "The truth is I was on board right away for this fight. But, sometimes, I had a little doubt," it would happen, he told Insider.Garcia said he was frustrated Tank's team took a fight in January, when he wanted his own "stay-busy" bout against Maxi Hughes around October."They decided if I do that, I wouldn't fight in December," said Garcia. "But then come December, he gets a fight in January" against Hector Luis Garcia, who he beat in emphatic fashion.Ryan Garcia also said there was a discrepancy between the agreed-upon weight. Garcia's last fight — a dominant knockout win over Javier Fortuna in July 2022 — was at 140 pounds.He said that the deal for the fight against Davis, who competes at 135 pounds, was initially designed for them to meet in the middle "at 138 pounds, or 137."But then, a week later, Garcia got a phone call. "No," Garcia said he was told. "We have to do it at 136."Garcia relented, and said he agreed to a rehydration clause of 10 pounds that limits the amount he's allowed to weigh on the day of the fight.For Tank, <a href="https://twitter.com/Sean_Zittel/status/1634258621709287425" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as told to Fight Hype correspondent Sean Zittel</a>, this is because he's the star of the show.As the so-called A-side, he can dictate certain stipulations. It's his terms, or else.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Sean Zittel (@Sean_Zittel) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1634258621709287425">March 10, 2023</a></blockquote>For Garcia, though, "that's clown energy.""They tried to discourage me from taking this fight. Or, maybe they just felt like they needed that type of advantage," he said."I think he's trying to strip my strength away but my strength doesn't come from weight, it comes from within. And he'll see that very soon," Garcia continued.<h2>The protracted negotiations had other implications, too</h2><div type="image" title="Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia." height="1333" width="2000" msid="98570281" hostid="261" sizebytes="110340"></div>The hold-up meant executives at Showtime were loathed to release their widely-anticipated schedule of boxing events for the second quarter, an Insider source with knowledge of the situation revealed.There were conversations at the top of the company that said if they released the schedule without Tank vs. Garcia then they'd risk fan disappointment when there was so much expectation that this bout was being delivered.Ultimately, the broadcaster waited until it was finally over the line to unveil the rest of their calendar — which included an extraordinary nine events in 11 weeks through to April 22.Here are just five marquee offerings:<ul><li>March 11 — Tim Tszyu vs. Tony Harrison — Sydney, Australia</li><li>March 25 — David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant — Las Vegas, Nevada</li><li>April 11 — Sebastian Fundora vs. Brian Mendoza — Carson, California</li><li>April 22 — Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia — Las Vegas, Nevada</li><li>May 13 — Alberto Puello vs. Rolando Romero — TBD</li></ul>Davis also had what Garcia described as "legal difficulties."In December, just days before Davis defeated Hector Luis Garcia, he was <a href="https://www.insider.com/gervonta-davis-arrested-and-jailed-on-domestic-violence-charge-2022-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested and jailed in Florida on a domestic violence charge</a>.The woman involved reportedly withdrew her accusation and shared in a social media post that her call to law enforcement was "unnecessary," <a href="https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2022/12/31/23533668/gervonta-davis-accuser-walks-balk-domestic-violence-claims-boxing-crime-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as per Bloody Elbow</a>.In February, Davis pleaded guilty to a separate case for a hit-and-run crash in November 2020 that left a pregnant woman and three other people injured, <a href="https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/35672908/gervonta-davis-pleads-guilty-hit-run-case-sentencing-may" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN</a>.Insider spoke to a source close to Davis who said ahead of the fighter's plea that they were confident the court date was never going to compromise the anticipated April showdown with Garcia.Garcia told Insider this week that he wasn't "going to speak" further on those legal difficulties, or "talk down on him about that."<h2>Good things come to those who wait</h2><div type="image" title="The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas." height="1331" width="2000" msid="98570282" hostid="261" sizebytes="153362"></div>Despite the rival representatives, broadcast partners, and the numerous hurdles to clear boxing's biggest event of the year, the April 22 show is a go.Though the fight landed at the T-Mobile Arena, which is home to the NHL team the Golden Knights, Insider learned midway through the protracted negotiation period that the Allegiant Stadium was in play.For a boxing show, the Allegiant — home to NFL side Las Vegas Raiders — could host over 70,000 fans.According to Insider's sources, organizers contemplated a big stadium show, a more intimate venue like the 15,000-capacity MGM Grand Garden Arena, or the T-Mobile Arena.A possible issue with the Raiders Stadium is that bizarrely for a huge venue, the revenue from the gate could be lower than if it were held at a smaller arena like the MGM Grand, where each ticket could cost a helluva lot more.Casinos also offer financial incentives to lure event organizers into their properties, as it ensures tens of thousands of people are at their resort, spending money prior to the event, going for lunch or dinner, and then gambling.Should a show take place slightly away from the Vegas Strip at the Allegiant, there's a logistical issue of how a casino transports its high rollers to that venue. Even more of an issue is ensuring those high rollers return to the casino.According to one Insider source, conversations take place with fancier or larger venues but oftentimes just end up back at the MGM Grand because of that reason.This time, though, it was different. Espinoza told Insider that the T-Mobile Arena was "very aggressive in stepping up and saying they wanted the fight."Espinoza is one of the few people in the business who has helped organize combat sports events that generate hundreds of millions of dollars.Considering his prior success, we asked the corporate executive if he had any prediction for how well the Davis vs. Garcia show could fare at the gate, and on pay-per-view."Candidly, I don't like to predict," he said, shutting the question down. "But it's been a while since we've seen something like this."<h2>Espinoza said his phone has blown up with celebrity requests for tickets</h2><div type="image" title="Stephen Espinoza." height="1333" width="2000" msid="98570284" hostid="261" sizebytes="76528"></div>For Espinoza, bringing Davis and Garcia together has unique advantages because they have "two of the larger fanbases in the sport."He said: "They're undefeated, in their prime or just entering their primes, and it's one of those right fights at the right time scenarios."He said his phone has blown up with celebrity ticket requests, which is something that only really happens when an event breaks into the mainstream.This is similar to what happened with Floyd Mayweather's boxing exhibition with Logan Paul, which Showtime broadcast in 2021, or when Mayweather fought Conor McGregor, Manny Pacquiao, or Canelo, all on Showtime."The good thing is when we have these fights in the first half of the year, we see a lot more NFL players because, from July through December, they're a little bit off-limits given their training and schedule," Espinoza said."Anecdotally, the NFL is going to be in full force because that's been the majority of the outreach by this point," he continued."But we've also got a number of high-level music acts," he said, "who are going to maneuver from performances at Coachella — in some cases that day — to fly in and make the fight that evening.""So when you get an opportunity like this, people will go to all kinds of lengths to make sure they're inside the venue to make the fight," he added.<h2>It's the fight to save boxing, Garcia told Insider</h2><div type="image" title="Ryan Garcia." height="1334" width="2000" msid="98570286" hostid="261" sizebytes="47990"></div>Davis, Garcia, Premier Boxing Champions, Golden Boy Promotions, Showtime Sports, and DAZN, have provided a critical case study as to how boxing's biggest events can work even when numerous parties are involved.Garcia told Insider he believes it's a fight that revives the sport."What I found out through this process is there's a way to work with yourself, with your ego. You can make anything happen. And that's what I accepted," Garcia said.He continued: "I've seen this problem and nobody has really done anything about it. They just talk about it. But I really wanted to put my words into action, and I wasn't going to let the fans down."The late television boxing analyst Larry Merchant once quipped that: "Nothing will kill boxing, and nothing can save it."Fights like this, though, certainly help to keep it alive.

Inside the making of Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia — a mega-fight that helps save the sport of boxing

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr., expected to happen by early next year, collapsed at the final hour.</li><li>Insider took a look inside how boxing's biggest bout died.</li></ul>LAS VEGAS — <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boxing</a>'s biggest fight has collapsed at the final hour.Representatives for American boxers <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/terence-crawford" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Terence Crawford</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/errol-spence-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Errol Spence Jr.</a> had been in discussions for a welterweight superfight since the summer, <a href="https://www.insider.com/errol-spence-jr-and-terence-crawfords-teams-talking-about-ppv-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as Insider detailed in June</a>.The fight would have determined the undisputed world championship at 147 pounds and, perhaps, the No. 1 fighter in the entire sport.Crawford and Spence have so much pedigree that a bout between them would have been the most significant welterweight showdown since <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/floyd-mayweather" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Floyd Mayweather</a> swept <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/manny-pacquiao" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Manny Pacquiao</a> aside in 2015. Athletes and celebrities would have packed into MGM Grand Garden Arena's VIP seats in Las Vegas, and fans would likely have dressed to the nines as the fight would have been a marquee event for the fighters, the city, and the sport."I want Terence Crawford next," Spence said after finishing Yordenis Ugas in style on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqlAPyWZORQ">Showtime Sports</a>, earlier this year. "That's the fight I want. That's the fight everybody else wants."To <a href="https://www.boxingscene.com/spence-crawford-wants-fight-i-want-fight-its-definitely-gonna-go-down-this-year--167553" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boxing Scene</a> later in the year, Spence said: "I think it's gonna happen. He wants the fight. I want the fight."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Errol Spence (@ErrolSpenceJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1577706574113652738">October 5, 2022</a></blockquote>Spence, Crawford, and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) boss Al Haymon all wanted this fight to happen, a key source with knowledge of the situation told Insider in October.But, after almost six months of negotiations, the deal is now dead, and it is unclear when, or if, it will be resuscitated.<h2>So, what went wrong?</h2><div type="image" title="Terence Crawford, boxing." height="1288" width="2000" msid="95310108" hostid="261" sizebytes="310278"></div>Two sources with knowledge of the Crawford vs. Spence negotiations <a href="https://www.insider.com/errol-spence-jr-and-terence-crawfords-teams-talking-about-ppv-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Insider in June that discussions for the mega match were underway, and November was a likely month</a> for the event to take place.With no official announcement in October, Insider checked in with those sources again at that time and <a href="https://www.insider.com/when-is-the-errol-spence-jr-and-terence-crawford-fight-2022-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were told the fight "will get made,"</a> despite the protracted nature of discussions.Organizers pushed the fight from November to early 2023 so that they could promote the match sufficiently. With a three-to-four-month promotion, the fight would have stood a greater chance of catching fire and transcending boxing to become a mainstream talking point across sports, one source said.Crawford, according to sources involved with the fight, wanted transparency regarding finances, including how much money the event generated to ensure his purse percentage (payment) was an accurate reflection of the fight's success. "He was going to get transparency" throughout, a source told Insider, adding that Crawford made an "unusual" request to also oversee the marketing expenditure for the show.A boxer usually does not get involved on this side, as their focus is to train and to fight, rather than to sign off on, say, $200,000 worth of expenses that could include things like press tours, free airline tickets for fighter teams, and so on.According to a source with knowledge of the negotiation, PBC nevertheless agreed and sent Crawford an updated contract after granting his final requests.However, Crawford never responded.Instead, he announced an alternative deal with a niche platform called BLK Prime, and said he would be fighting David Avenesyan in December.<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkClLAJLhPi" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Blk Prime Boxing (@blkprimeboxing)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></div></blockquote>Prior to acquiring Crawford, BLK Prime had been broadcasting glorified club shows. Despite annual revenue of $5 million <a href="https://www.zoominfo.com/c/blk-prime/450523176" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ZoomInfo data</a>, BLK Prime provided a $10 million guarantee to Crawford, the fighter said.This secondary deal "blindsided" Spence and PBC staff, according to two sources familiar with the negotiations. "Nobody saw this coming," one source said.PBC expected the fight to get finalized and had no idea Crawford "was really working on a secondary deal," the source added.Insider contacted representatives for Crawford on Thursday but did not receive a reply.<h2>Crawford and Spence quarreled on social media</h2><div type="image" title="Errol Spence Jr." height="1333" width="2000" msid="95310109" hostid="261" sizebytes="79066"></div>Crawford said <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tbudcrawford/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in an Instagram Live video</a> this week that representatives from two unnamed hedge funds reportedly wanted to pay him $25 million, and pay Spence $25 million, as guarantees for the superfight.Crawford said he presented this offer to Spence, who reportedly inquired about "the backend," meaning the money that could come should the fight prove successful at the box office — something that's not known until after the conclusion of the show.Insider confirmed this mystery offer with two sources close to the negotiations, who said it was rejected on account of it being from an unidentified party, with no indication of how the fighters would be compensated if the pay-per-view sales were significant.One source, who was also close to the Mayweather and Pacquiao negotiations, said Pacquiao's representative at the time, Bob Arum, laughed off a flat offer of $42 million. According to this source, the Top Rank boss was aware of how big the payoff at the backend would be.Pacquiao went on to leave the ring $72 million to $76 million richer, and received an even bigger check later when the pay-per-views were tabulated to show a record 4.6 million US households purchased the event.Haymon did not think Spence, or Crawford, should cap themselves at $25 million, the source said.A third source, one who has knowledge of the pay-per-view business, pointed out Jake Paul's recent eight-round win over Anderson Silva, which reached up to 300,000 pay-per-view sales on Showtime.Though this figure is reasonable in today's tough pay-per-view market, it fails to touch big-name boxers Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez or Deontay Wilder, the American heavyweight who fought a trilogy with Tyson Fury.The difference between Jake Paul, and Spence-Crawford or Wilder-Fury, is that the latter two fights represent significant sporting competitiveness, with athletes at — or near — the peak of their boxing powers, this source said.If a Spence-Crawford fight mirrored the popularity of the Wilder-Fury trilogy then, at an $89.99 price point, it could have generated approximately $67.5 million — more than the alleged combined fees offered by the mystery hedge funds.The backend, for Spence's team and PBC, was always going to be important, according to a source close to the negotiation, as they always anticipated it becoming a big, mainstream sports event.<h2>Spence reacted to Crawford's Instagram Live video</h2>"Why it take you two weeks to say something," <a href="https://twitter.com/ErrolSpenceJr/status/1587992207100878851" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spence said in a tweet</a> to Crawford this week.The three-belt welterweight champion said Crawford claimed "that his concerns over having transparency on the revenues and expenses for the fight was the big issue that killed the negotiations."My side agreed to show him everything."Spence then challenged Crawford to post the draft contract from earlier this summer, which would show that his requests had been granted.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Errol Spence (@ErrolSpenceJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1587993898416279558">November 3, 2022</a></blockquote>Spence also referenced the mystery hedge fund offer Crawford made. "He couldn't tell me" where the source of the money was from, he said."This dude is a clown," <a href="https://twitter.com/terencecrawford/status/1588000166853894145" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Crawford wrote of Spence</a>, adding that he felt his opponent's team was trying to "drag this negotiation out," which is why he took the alternative deal from BLK Prime to fight Avenesyan next month.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1588000166853894145">November 3, 2022</a></blockquote><h2>Where Spence and Crawford could go from here</h2><div type="image" title="Sebastian Fundora and Erickson Lubin delivered a David vs. Goliath boxing classic." height="2001" width="3000" msid="95310110" hostid="261" sizebytes="220366"></div>Crawford already has a fight against David Avenesyan lined up for December 10 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the bout he seemingly organized while the deal from Spence and PBC was still on the table.Spence does not have an official match of his own lined up, but he does have options as he could box PBC stablemate Keith Thurman, or a mandatory challenger to one of his world championships, like Eimantas Stanionis.He could even leave the welterweight division entirely and seek a fight at 154 pounds.I tweeted mid-October that, with the Spence vs. Crawford event in disarray, a fight between Spence and "The Towering Inferno" Sebastian Fundora would be a strong consolation. Spence himself liked the tweet.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Al Dawson (@AlanDawsonSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1583299700945395712">October 21, 2022</a></blockquote>A source close to Spence told us that it means the fighter is "not just interested in Fundora but perhaps the super welterweight division generally."<h2>Is a Crawford-Spence superfight dead?</h2>A superfight involving Crawford and Spence could still happen should they emerge from these separate fights unscathed.Haymon "would like to still do the business," a source close to the PBC boss told Insider."Errol is still open to the fight," a source close to Spence told us.Organizers of the collapsed bout are concerned, though, that if the fight was problematic the first time around then it could be problematic again in the future.If Crawford wanted a tune-up fight in 2022 then there may have been a way to do that which could elevate a fight with Spence.One of Insider's boxing sources close to the fight said Crawford and Spence could have shared a card, albeit in separate fights, with the winners' meeting in the ring to announce the superfight in front of a significant global audience."This type of pay-per-view would have given an indication to how well a fight involving both Crawford and Spence would perform at the box office," the source told us.It is unclear if Crawford's pay-per-view on BLK Prime will succeed or fail.But had he fought on the same card as Spence, to hype a superfight, then he may have had a different bargaining position than the one he might have should the BLK bout fail at the box office.As things stands right now, though, we have a deal that died, and ambiguity over whether two of boxing's best fighters will ever actually fight to determine the true No. 1.

How the biggest fight in boxing fell apart at the final hour — and where Spence, Crawford should go from here

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Popular Philly prizefighter Danny Garcia returns to the ring July 30 against Jose Benavidez Jr.</li><li>The 34-year-old throws one of the best left hooks in boxing.</li></ul>Famed Philly boxer <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/danny-garcia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Danny Garcia</a> returns to the ring Saturday for his debut junior middleweight fight against Jose Benavidez Jr. at the Barclays Center in New York City.Garcia is one of <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing</a>'s best-known fighters, a former two-weight world champion, and a popular East Coast prizefighter that has beaten big-name opponents like Amir Khan, Erik Morales, and Zab Judah.The 34-year-old told Insider recently that he's "excited" to be back in combat sports, and will relish the atmosphere when he makes the walk to the Brooklyn ring ahead of his 40th pro bout."I want to go in there, look good, and dominate," he said.One of the ways Garcia looks good is when he throws, and lands, his proven finisher — the left hook.He gave Insider a brief master class on one of boxing's most iconic punches.<h2>Garcia perfected the left hook through years of practice</h2><div type="image" title="Danny Garcia knocked out Erik Morales in 2012." height="1375" width="2000" msid="93222419" hostid="261" sizebytes="146650"></div>"I've just been working on the left hook every day," he told us. "I used to love Felix Trinidad as a kid, and he had a great left hook, so every day since then I've just been working on it," trying to emulate the Puerto Rican icon, he said.Garcia drilled a variety of left hooks from his formative years as a fighter with his father, Angel Garcia.They worked on traps, how to identify what the opponent is doing, and then responding accordingly so that they could try to work toward that equalizer."We always work on sitting on our punches, sitting on the right hand, sitting on the left hook," he said about his partnership with his trainer-father Angel. "As you grow in boxing and learn more, you are able to create more openings, and that's what we do."<h2>It's all about timing</h2>The essential ingredient for a strong left hook, according to Garcia, is timing."It's all about being in position and setting the punch up where you throw a jab to the body, feint to the body, and then throw a left hook upstairs," he told us."Or, you can slip inside the jab and throw the left hook, like when I caught Morales."Watch Garcia catch Morales in a 2012 fight right here:<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pQrzKifgAjU?clip=Ugkx39IG5THgGr51lam0KLIdYNYE0XTHeSjf&amp;clipt=EM6zCBjmqAk" frameborder="0"></iframe>"There's lots of different ways to land the left hook," according to Garcia. "You can always double the left hook up, too," he said."So we work on all these different ways to throw the left hook, and then just perfect them."Is the type of left hook shot determined by what the opponent is doing? "That's exactly it," Garcia said."Some fighters are different. Some fighters might lunge in after throwing a right hand after they throw the jab, so you can slip inside right then. It depends on the fighter in front of you, and how you open them up."<h2>Garcia listed five left hooks he admires most in boxing's history</h2><div type="image" title="Felix Trinidad and Oscar de la Hoya are two of the best left hookers." height="500" width="1000" msid="93222420" hostid="261" sizebytes="46202"></div>Here's who Garcia singled out:<ol><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/floyd-mayweather" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Floyd Mayweather</a></li><li>Roy Jones Jr.</li><li>Felix Trinidad</li><li>Oscar de la Hoya</li><li>Joe Frazier</li></ol>"Floyd and Roy Jones had a kind of left hook where they jump in with it," said Garcia. "They leap in with it, and catch you with the left hook."Mine is a little different," he said. "Mine is more like Trinidad's, where I sit on it. He had a great left hook, and also Oscar de la Hoya had a great left hook. Those are the guys I compare my left hook to."Joe Frazier was more like … He'll stalk you down and then throw that left hook. His style was so different and you really can't train for a fighter like him."<div type="image" title="Joe Frazier lands a left on Muhammad Ali." height="1293" width="2000" msid="93222421" hostid="261" sizebytes="229076"></div>See Frazier's famous left hook knockout of <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/muhammad-ali" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Muhammad Ali</a> right here:<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s_4-Abd89ck" frameborder="0"></iframe><h2>Garcia wants to 'stay busy' at junior middleweight</h2>Garcia previously won world championships in boxing's super lightweight and welterweight divisions.He competes for the first time at 154 pounds this weekend, at a Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Showtime Championship Boxing event.Garcia is determined to not only win, but look good doing so. Like many fighters, he's loathed to talk too much about the future when he has a fight scheduled in his immediate future."You gotta just take one fight at a time," he said.<div type="image" title="Danny Garcia, PBC boxer." height="1335" width="2000" msid="93222422" hostid="261" sizebytes="348288"></div>However, seeing as he's in the same PBC roster of fighters as many of the elite junior middleweights on the planet, he will likely become a significant addition to what is already a hulking and competitive division.The top guys at 154, according to Garcia, are the undisputed champion <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/jermell-charlo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jermell Charlo</a>, fast-rising monster Sebastian Fundora, and gifted boxer <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/tony-harrison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony Harrison</a>. "I would say those are the top guys," he said."Obviously, Castano is still up there for sure. He just lost to Charlo, who had the better style that night and the man with the better punches."But first thing's first, Garcia wants to dominate Benavidez."It feels like a while since I fought so I'm excited to put up a good fight," he said.

How to throw one of boxing's best shots — the left hook — according to former 2-weight champ Danny Garcia

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11922196" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boxing" source="Orion">Boxing</keyword> leaders at the sport's Hall of Fame were saddened by the death of <keyword id="14130714" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="simiso-buthelezi" source="Orion">Simiso Buthelezi</keyword>.</li><li>The 24-year-old fighter died two days after fighting a WBF national title match in South Africa.</li></ul>CANASTOTA, N.Y. — <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boxing</a> leaders at the Hall of Fame in Canastota told Insider they were saddened at the recent death of the 24-year-old fighter <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/simiso-buthelezi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Simiso Buthelezi</a>.The South African novice died June 7, just days after competing in a WBF African lightweight title match against Siphesihle Mntungwa at the Greville Convention Centre in Durban, 350 miles southeast of Johannesburg.Buthelezi appeared to be winning the bout and even punched Mntungwa through the ropes in the 10th and final round.However, before Mtungwa fell, he caught Buthelezi with a counter left hand, which seemed to disorient the fighter.<h2>'It's sad,' Hall of Fame broadcaster <keyword id="14205284" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="al-bernstein" source="Orion">Al Bernstein</keyword> said</h2><div type="image" title="Simiso Buthelezi and Sophesihle Mntungwa." height="552" width="1000" msid="92233491" hostid="261"></div>When the referee called for the action to resume, Buthlezi began <a href="https://www.insider.com/simiso-buthelezi-taken-to-hospital-after-boxing-imaginary-opponent-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing an imaginary opponent, as seen on video</a>. The fight was called off, and he was taken to King Edward VIII Hospital nearby. <a href="https://www.insider.com/boxer-simiso-buthelezi-dies-from-brain-bleed-after-fight-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">He died two days after the fight</a>."It's sad," Hall of Fame broadcaster Al Bernstein from Showtime <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">Sports</keyword> told Insider recently."Those are the moments when you just shake your head and say, 'Ah, man.' This sport does a lot of good. It helps a lot of young men and women, but it's got inherent dangers."<div type="image" title="Sportscaster and boxing Hall of Famer Al Bernstein." height="1391" width="2000" msid="92233495" hostid="261"></div>Boxing historian, record-keeper, and programmer <keyword id="14205283" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bob-yalen" source="Orion">Bob Yalen</keyword> told us it's "a flat-out tragedy.""Any boxing injury and boxing death is a tragedy. I've kept track of them for many years," he said. "It's obviously a dangerous sport, and you have to be prepared for that going in. You never ever want to see something like that."Yalen said he advocates the introduction of a "red card" system, which would allow a doctor to hold up a red card and stop the fight immediately. "I'm in favor of stuff like that," Yalen, the former CEO of MTK Global, said. "Safety for the fighter has to be first."He added: "Obviously, you saw on video what happened. He was fighting … and then all of a sudden he was fighting nobody."<h2>'No one deserves to die' in boxing</h2><div type="image" title="Boxing matchmaker and promoter Sampson Lewkowicz." height="1476" width="2000" msid="92233499" hostid="261"></div>Buthelezi's death, and similar tragedies that have occurred before this, are "part of our business," according to matchmaker and boxing promoter <keyword id="14205285" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sampson-lewkowicz" source="Orion">Sampson Lewkowicz</keyword>.The 71-year-old — who is credited for discovering Manny Pacquiao, and is the force behind rising stars David Benavidez and Sebastian Fundora — noted that athletes die in other sports like car racing.Lewkowicz said that these tragedies do not just occur in Africa, but have happened worldwide."It's part of the game. And this is the reason I respect all of the boxers because it's not just sweat and blood in the gym, but in the ring, too," he said."My message is that we must respect all the fighters. He gave us his life knowing he might die. No one deserves to die" in this sport, he said. "It's very sad. I'm so sorry."

Boxing leaders at the Hall of Fame saddened at the death of 24-year-old fighter Simiso Buthelezi

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Chaos unfolded at a <keyword id="11922196" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boxing" source="Orion">boxing</keyword> press conference Thursday.</li><li><keyword id="13570608" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tony-harrison" source="Orion">Tony Harrison</keyword>, who fights <keyword id="13570609" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sergio-garcia" source="Orion">Sergio Garcia</keyword> on Saturday, threw punches at another fighter in the crowd.</li></ul>LAS VEGAS — You can take <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/tony-harrison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tony Harrison</a> away from the streets of Detroit but you can't take the streets out of Tony Harrison.That's at least what the American fighter told Insider himself, through a mischievous smile, shortly after a <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing</a> press conference descended into chaos because a rival of his, <keyword id="13570610" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="luis-arias" source="Orion">Luis Arias</keyword>, couldn't stop chirping from the crowd."Being from the streets of Detroit is who I am," the 31-year-old said.Harrison is fighting Sergio Garcia at the theater inside Virgin Hotels, Las Vegas, but for a brief period at a pre-fight press conference Insider attended Thursday, he was ready to ruck with Arias instead.It is unclear why Arias, who has a pro boxing record of 19 wins (nine knockouts) against three losses, attended the Premier Boxing Champions on Showtime media day. Though it seems like he just wants to rankle Harrison.Arias bucked a run of three fights without a win in June, last year, when he beat Jarrett Hurd but got outpointed by Vaughn Alexander in December.Arias insulted Harrison numerous times at the midweek event, getting louder as the day progressed, before throwing a rubber duck at his rival.That was enough for Harrison, who had otherwise remained calm, to snap. And so Harrison left his stool on the dais, walked to Arias, and threw punches before both men were restrained.<div type="image" title="Tony Harrison and Luis Arias came to blows at a boxing press conference Thursday." height="690" width="1250" msid="90716776" hostid="261"></div>Arias was then thrown out of the room before Harrison cooly returned to the stage to continue promoting his upcoming fight against Garcia.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Al Dawson (@AlanDawsonSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1512162500770689027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>Watch the chaos here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1512163736144039940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>Harrison lingered around the hallways of the Virgin Hotels casino with his entourage after the press conference had finished.To friends, he said he told Arias that he would fight him but Arias couldn't wait as he "needed the money" and took the Alexander bout instead.It was a match Arias went on to lose and it has seemingly created a divide in levels as Harrison continues to rebound from a 2019 defeat to <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/jermell-charlo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jermell Charlo</a>."You done," Harrison said he told Arias."I'm from Detroit, man. It ain't never dull where I am," Harrison told Insider; describing Arias as an "internet gangster."He said: "We talking shit on the internet. He wrote me on my inbox and that he wanted to fight. This was at the time I was agreeing to fight Tim Tszyu and I told Arias, I told him, after Tszyu, me and him could get it on."But then he lost. I told him he took a fight that was stupid and he lost. He was already bum to me then but he's an extra bum to me now. Our fight's no-go. So now he's popping up at press conferences and doing shit like that."Insider asked Harrison if he knew what Arias threw at him on the stage. He was surprised when we told him it was a rubber duck."Was it? I don't know what the fuck it was but all I see is him throwing something at me and now that means war."Harrison hopes to bring another war to the ring Saturday when he fights the more mild-mannered Garcia.The PBC on Showtime event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, is headlined by a separate super welterweight fight between Erickson Lubin and Sebastian Fundora.Kevin Salgado and Bryant Perella complete the 154-pound triple-header.

A boxing press conference descended into chaos when Tony Harrison tried to fight a rival in the crowd

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two of the faces of American <keyword id="11922196" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boxing" source="Orion">boxing</keyword> return to the ring in separate bouts in the months ahead.</li><li><keyword id="13294649" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="errol-spence-jr-" source="Orion">Errol Spence Jr.</keyword> and <keyword id="11922739" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gervonta-davis" source="Orion">Gervonta Davis</keyword> headline pay-per-view fights on Showtime <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">Sports</keyword>.</li></ul>LAS VEGAS — Two faces of American <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing</a> return this summer in separate showdowns, as Showtime Sports announces its schedule of fights for the months ahead.<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/errol-spence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Errol Spence Jr.</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/gervonta-davis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gervonta Davis</a>, two of the biggest box-office draws in the business, headline a nine-event run, which the premium broadcaster organized with key partner Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).<keyword id="13391502" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jermell-charlo" source="Orion">Jermell Charlo</keyword> competes in a rare undisputed match; his brother <keyword id="13391503" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jermall-charlo" source="Orion">Jermall Charlo</keyword> boxes once again on the Juneteenth weekend; and <keyword id="13391504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-benavidez" source="Orion">David Benavidez</keyword> fights an accomplished veteran.Showtime and PBC take their show to multiple key territories, including Minneapolis, Arlington, and New York.Here's the schedule, which Insider confirmed Tuesday:<ul><li>March 26: Tim Tszyu vs. Terrell Gausha — to determine WBO super welterweight mandatory challenger, in Minneapolis<ul><li>Michel Rivera vs. Joseph Adorno — lightweight fight</li><li>Elvis Rodriguez vs. Juan Jose Velasco — super lightweight fight</li></ul></li><li>April 9: Erickson Lubin vs. Sebastian Fundora — super welterweight title eliminator, in Las Vegas<ul><li>Tony Harrison vs. Sergio Garcia — super welterweight fight</li><li>Kevin Salgado vs. Bryant Perrella — super welterweight fight</li></ul></li><li>April 16: Errol Spence Jr. vs. Yordenis Ugas — WBA, WBC, and IBF world welterweight unification, in Arlington, Texas, on pay-per-view<ul><li>Supporting fights to be announced</li></ul></li><li>May 14: Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castano — WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF world super welterweight unification, in Carson, Calif.<ul><li>Jaron Ennis vs. Custio Clayton — welterweight fight</li></ul></li><li>May 21: David Benavidez vs. David Lemieux — super middleweight fight, Glendale, Ariz.<ul><li>Yoelvis Gomez vs. Jorge Cota — super welterweight</li></ul></li><li>May 28: Gervonta Davis vs. Rolando Romero — WBA lightweight title, in New York on pay-per-view<ul><li>Supporting fights to be announced</li></ul></li><li>June 4: Stephen Fulton vs. Danny Roman — WBC, WBO super bantamweight title fight, in Minneapolis<ul><li>David Morrell vs. Kalvin Henderson — WBA super middleweight world title fight</li></ul></li><li>June 18: Jermall Charlo vs. Maciej Sulecki — WBC middleweight title, in Houston <ul><li>Supporting fights to be announced</li></ul></li><li>July 9: Mark Magsayo vs. Rey Vargas — WBC featherweight world title fight, in San Antonio<ul><li>Supporting fights to be announced</li></ul></li></ul>For Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza, "It's a good time to be a boxing fan."<div type="image" title="Showtime Sports boss Stephen Espinoza." height="1000" width="2000" msid="90232866" hostid="261"></div>Showtime offers varied combat sports programming including ShoBox, which features up-and-coming athletes; Showtime Championship Boxing; Showtime pay-per-view; and even Bellator MMA — home of high-flying featherweight fighter A.J. McKee.Spence and Davis are two of America's best, and most popular, prizefighters.But beyond the marquee names are multiple competitors trying to climb to the highest echelons, like Stephen Fulton — who, last year, was in the running for Fighter of the Year — exciting puncher Jaron Ennis, and David Benavidez, who has been vying for a fight with No. 1 boxer Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez.Espinoza said: "We continue to grow the sport at every level, from our grassroots series ShoBox to crowning an undisputed champion at 154 pounds, to a high-stakes unification showdown between Errol Spence and Yordenis Ugas, to the return of young superstars Tank Davis, Jaron Ennis, and Stephen Fulton."Jermall Charlo, who fights for the second time on Juneteenth weekend, will have Maciej Sulecki opposite the ring from him, after his handlers attempted to book him a bout against Jaime Munguia.PBC and Showtime organized the first major boxing event on Juneteenth, last year, and told Insider at the time that they were looking to make it an annual show that celebrates Black American fighters akin to big fights for Mexican boxers on Cinco de Mayo.Showtime and TGB Promotions, on behalf of PBC, had been in negotiation with Golden Boy Promotions for a Charlo bout involving unbeaten star Munguia.A sticking point, <a href="https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/33486063/sources-jermall-charlo-jaime-munguia-talks-collapse-due-fight-us-broadcast-rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to ESPN</a>, regarded the platform on which the bout would air. Golden Boy wanted DAZN involved for a joint pay-per-view.Talks for that fight are over, for now at least, and so Showtime pushed ahead with its broadcast announcement, and wants to draw eyes to the breadth of the programming."When you consider the competitive nature of the matchups, the star power, and youthful vitality, it's never been clearer that Showtime is the destination for the most compelling fights," Espinoza said.<a target="_merchant" href="https://www.showtime.com/"><img src="https://i.insider.com/5e1f854a24306a23d171a16c" /></a><a target="_merchant" href="https://www.showtime.com/">Showtime Monthly Streaming Subscription</a><a target="_merchant" href="https://www.showtime.com/">$11.99 FROM SHOWTIME</a><a target="_merchant" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/offers/signup?ie=UTF8&amp;benefitID=showtimeSub">$10.99 FROM AMAZON</a> <hr />

Showtime Sports announces blockbuster spring and summer boxing schedule

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="7714006" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="andy-ruiz-jr">Andy Ruiz Jr</keyword>. defeated <keyword id="1814999" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Chris-Arreola">Chris Arreola</keyword> in front of a partial fan allowance in Carson on Saturday.</li><li><keyword id="11183535" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jesus-ramos">Jesus Ramos</keyword> and Sebastian Fundora also continued their awesome progressions.</li><li>Fans at the event were so excited to see live <keyword id="6362171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boxing">boxing</keyword>, they fought amongst themselves in the crowd.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/andy-ruiz-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Ruiz Jr.</a> survived a second-round knockdown to beat Chris Arreola in a throwback slobberknocker in front of a partial fan allowance Saturday at the Dignity Health <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">Sports</keyword> Park in Carson, California.The 10-bout, Premier Boxing Champions event was broadcast on Fox Sports pay-per-view and there were almost as many fights in the crowd as there were in the ring.It was a particularly wild night for Mexican <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing</a> as some of its best-known fighters, and its up-and-comers, took center stage, while a small number of fans brawled in the stands.Ruiz Jr. returned to the ring for the first time since losing a 12-round decision to <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/anthony-joshua" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Joshua</a> at a landmark event in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, in 2019.The fight was a rematch of a bout earlier in the year when <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/andy-ruiz-jr-knocks-anthony-joshua-out-in-heavyweight-shocker-2019-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ruiz Jr. got up from the floor to drop Joshua four times en route to a humiliating knockout loss</a> for Britain's gold medal hero.Ruiz Jr. celebrated with his family, went on late-night talk shows, and ate Snickers as he got to grips with his new-found fame.But the weight of those world championship belts proved to be heavy, as Ruiz Jr. turned up to the scales for the rematch out of shape, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/andy-ruiz-beat-anthony-joshua-who-won-result-2019-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surrendering the titles back to Joshua</a>.This was his comeback - a bout against a fellow Mexican, just as tough as he is, just days away from Cinco de Mayo.But this was no showcase for Ruiz Jr. This was a challenging comeback fight as Arreola showed there is still a lot of dog in him, even at 40 years time.Arreola boxed well in the opening rounds and even had Ruiz Jr. down in the second, but the former world champion eventually found his rhythm and had the match won in the second half."He got me with a good clean right hand in the second round," said Ruiz Jr. in a statement sent to Insider."I was too overconfident and dropped my hand a bit. Hats off to him. We just kept pushing and pushing. I switched up and started focusing on counterpunching and working the body."By the end of the 12th, Ruiz Jr. had landed 161 of his 626 shots for a 25.7% accuracy rate, meaning he had out-thrown, out-landed, and was more effective than Arreola, who landed 109 from 521 (20.9%), according to Compubox data sent to Insider.Watch the highlights here:<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OBwHJRcqxOg" frameborder="0"></iframe><h2>The future is bright for Fundora and Ramos</h2><div type="image" title="Fundora and Ramos" height="750" width="1000" msid="82362720" hostid="261"></div>One boxing theme consistently reported by Insider's combat sports correspondent is how the sport is in good health with so many fun, exciting, very good, unapologetically violent, and wonderfully nasty youngsters in the fight game.Two of them fought in separate bouts Saturday on Ruiz Jr. and Arreola's undercard.<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/sebastian-fundora" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sebastian Fundora</a>, who is flirting with title-contending status, stopped Jorge Cota in a four-round war.At 6-foot-6, "The Towering Inferno" is not your regular super welterweight because he is, literally, head and shoulders above his 154-pound competition - a division where the average height is approximately 5-foot-11.With height and reach advantage like that, fighters would be wise to box from a distance and pick opponents off with jabs - keeping them as far away from you as possible, where they can do as little damage while you inflict yours.But, hell, Fundora is not that kind of guy. He can box you from range, sure, but he seemingly prefers to fight you like you mugged him.He'll rip up that distance rulebook and spit on it in disgust as he makes his way on the inside, exchanging heavy leather from point-blank, seemingly happy to get hit in the process.This sort of paradox of style has star-making potential - and Fundora is making all the right moves to get there fast as he spent 90% of the fight "in the phone booth" to beat up Cota, according to Compubox data.Fundora advanced his pro boxing record to 17 wins (12 knockouts) against one draw with his weekend victory.Slightly further behind Fundora in the developmental process, but making just as much noise as a potential star, is <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/jesus-ramos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jesus Ramos</a>.The 20-year-old previously told Insider that <a href="https://www.insider.com/jesus-ramos-wants-to-win-a-world-title-at-21-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he wants to get so good at boxing that his name is mentioned in the same way people talk about Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao</a> today.With a hard-hitting reputation, there is an expectation to perhaps see "Mono" continue to knock people out, but Javier Molina took the youngster the full distance in Southern California.Despite the bout going to the scorecards, Ramos had done more than enough to earn a lopsided win while showcasing spiteful left hooks to the body, and meticulous head shots.Ramos may like what he was able to show Saturday.He knows everyone sees him as a knockout puncher, but against a durable opponent he demonstrated he is fully capable of winning easily after 10 rounds of battle, too.<h2>Crowd disturbances were plentiful in Carson</h2>This was the first boxing event in California to permit a partial fan allowance.Some of those who attended were so excited to see live fights, that they took part in some themselves.Check it out:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-MiguelAngelMaravilla (@MigMaravilla) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1388705429006348288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2021</a></blockquote>

You Searched For "sebastian fundora" and got 13 results

Sebastian and Gabriela Fundora are likely the toughest siblings in all sports

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Sebastian Fundora broke American boxing rival Erickson Lubin's nose during high-octane battle Saturday

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A David vs. Goliath boxing match delivered an instant Fight of the Year contender in Las Vegas

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American boxer Erickson Lubin is on the cusp of delivering a master class in how to rebound from a KO loss

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Why 22-year-old 'Towering Inferno' Sebastian Fundora will be unfazed about the late opponent switch on the big PBC card Saturday

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Boxing leaders at the Hall of Fame saddened at the death of 24-year-old fighter Simiso Buthelezi

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A boxing press conference descended into chaos when Tony Harrison tried to fight a rival in the crowd

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Showtime Sports announces blockbuster spring and summer boxing schedule

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Andy Ruiz Jr. survived a second-round knockdown to beat Chris Arreola in a throwback slobberknocker

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