Jermell Charlo Mentions Sebastian Fundora and Tim Tszyu as Future Foes
This May 14, WBA Super, IBF and WBC super welterweight champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (34-1-1, 18 KO’s) will try his hand at becoming undisputed. The immediate rematch, with WBO 154-pound champion Brian Castano, will mark his second attempt. Unfortunately for the two fighters, their initial dustup ended in an unsatisfying draw. This time around though, Charlo has openly stated that he has dedicated himself to stopping Castano within the distance. Provided that he is the victor, regardless of how, Iron Man already has his eyes on some up and coming talent.
“We got [Sebastian] Fundora, we got [Tim] Tszyu […] we got the IBF mandatory [Bakhram Murtazaliev] […] So we are going to see what is the best decision for me to make. I know that I might have to do the IBF. I’m busy, I’m busy! I told y’all, I’m busy too!”
Unified champion Jermell Charlo in interview
THE TOWERING INFERNO
One of the swiftest rising talents in the division has to be Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora (19-0-1, 13 KO’s). With his staggering height, high-volume and penchant for all-action fights, Fundora is cementing himself as a fan favorite. Yet, even better than being merely a blood-and-guts boxer, the Towering Inferno has shown that he has legitimate heart and skill as well. In his last match, versus the talented Erickson Lubin, Fundora walked away with the win after having to rise from the canvas. Ranked #2 (WBC), the friendly bruiser has made his desire to face Charlo extremely well-known.
THE SOUL TAKER
Another top contender making his bones in the division is Australian born boxer Tim “The Soul Taker” Tszyu (21-0, 15 KO’s). Like Fundora, Tszyu is coming off a great win over Terrall Gausha on March 26. While the bout was nowhere near as exciting as The Towering Inferno’s, The Soul Taker secured the important win and valuable experience. Ranked #1 (WBO), #2 (WBC) and #3 (IBF), Tszyu has an excellent argument to be Charlo’s first foe after Castano.
FROM RUSSIAN WITH NO LOVE
As he also mentioned, Charlo may very well find himself in the opposition corner of Russian pugilist Bakhram Murtazaliev (20-0, 15 KO’s). While he may not be falling off the tip of American fan’s tongues, Murtazaliev is a very formidable talent. Ranked #1 (IBF), #2 (WBO) and #8 (WBC), the heavy-handed boxer is more than ready to get his shot at the titles. It should aid his cause being that he is trained by Vergil Hunter and managed by the well-connected Egis Klimas. Yet, before any life can be breathed into any of these duels, Charlo must first get past Brian Castano. So, let’s see what happens there first!
Reading Time: 3 minutes
By: Bakari Simpson
