Sebastian Fundora presented with WBC Belt for towering achievement

Undefeated WBC Interim super welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora was presented with the famous Green and Gold Belt by World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman at the Sports and Chips restaurant in Mexico City.

Sebastian 19-0-1, 13 KO´s, was accompanied by his father and trainer Freddy, his sister Gabriela and his promoter Sampson Lewkowicz. Mauricio also presented Sebastian with a WBC champion´s wrist belt, which he and Sampson took turns in fitting around the young man´s sturdy wrist. Sebastian, who´s kindly and affable, spent a lot of time talking with and having photos taken with members of Mexico´s Special Olympics Team, who really appreciated this.

We asked Sebastian what it felt like to be standing on the edge of time aged twenty-four and he replied: “It feels great and great to be here. My Dad has been talking about Martes a Cafe for years, so the fact we`re actually here is incredible.”

Jermell Charlo the WBC, WBA and IBF Champion is fighting a rematch with WBO Champion Brian Castano on May 14th, and Sebastian wants to fight the winner. He says it`ll be a tough fight for him, but states: “We train to win, and we train hard.”

Sebastian refers to his last fight for the Interim Championship, in which he knocked down Erickson Lubin in round two, got knocked down himself in round seven and then rallied, so much so that Lubin, whose face was badly swelled, was pulled out after a torrid round nine. Sebastian described his first visit to the canvass in his career, wryly saying: “The education part is how I took the knee to recover from the punches. I did get clipped of course, but that`s boxing. I was ahead in that round and could have probably stopped him. But then I came back out and stopped him.

“When I dropped him in the second round, I didn`t think it was going to be that fast. He´s a strong fighter and I knew he was going to get back up. He has a lot of heart and he showed it. Honestly, I expected to go twelve rounds with him.”

Sebastian is already in the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest ever super welterweight. As well as being six feet five and a half inches tall, he has an eighty-inch reach. Describing what it`s like to be a tall fighter, he explained: “We`re supposed to be better fighters on the outside, because we have the longer reach. But I like fighting at mid-range inside. That`s where I lay my uppercuts and that`s where I feel comfortable. I do get hit, but I feel more comfortable where I`m not going to get hit with a full range punch. That`s how I fight.”

Further discussing reach Sebastian says: “I have the attributes to do it. It`s just something I don`t feel comfortable doing right now. Maybe later in the future, I`ll start using my height a little more, but as of now I just like to go in there and knock out people. I`m a pressure fighter. If you want to step in the middle of the ring with me and trade…I can do that all day!”

Sebastian`s sister Gabriela is also a pro fighter with a 7-0 record. Sitting by him on the podium, afterwards she said: “Sitting right next to him, watching him getting his Green and Gold Belt is amazing. He`s just fought such a spectacular fight, it`s great. I train with my brother every single day. I see what he does and what he accomplishes. I`m right there. Our gym is in our back yard, so we wake up, we go running, we eat, we go back to sleep and then wake up again and right back to boxing.

“I`m his best friend. I like to joke around on Instagram saying that I`m his twin. I`m not, as I`m younger, but we`re so close. We`ve done everything together since we were tiny, so it`s how we are. He´s my best friend!”

Several years ago Sampson Lewkowicz who leads Sampson Boxing, was singing Sebastian`s praises, saying the young Towering Inferno was on his way to the summit and the pinnacle. Describing how the fundamentals of Fundora came about Sampson said:

“Sebastian´s father Freddy sent me pictures and a video. He`s had about three or four fights. I said I love it, he`s a good kid, but he`s too fragile and skinny for our business. Freddy said give Sebastian a chance. I was totally wrong in my first assumption. So I took him. He was 5-0. He fought an undefeated kid and defeated him over six rounds. I took Sebastian to Argentina, I took him to my country Uruguay and he`s become a champion. He has Mexican blood and he loves to fight inside and engage in a fight.

“Sebastian is totally dedicated to boxing. He lives twenty four hours for the sport. We hope we can have the four belts very soon. Sebastian doesn`t go out to a bar, drink, smoke, doesn`t go out. He only goes out to the movies with his girlfriend. That I never saw in any of my fighters…honestly! He`s respectable.”

As for the next and biggest step, Sampson says: “We plan to go to California on May 14th and challenge the winner, regardless of who it will be. I believe it`s too early, but you never know. Sebastian wants to fight for the title right now. We`ll see. With four titles there…this is the one!”