On Saturday night live from the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, CA, women’s undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora (15-0, 7 KOs) will defend her titles against Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1, 3 KOs) in a scheduled ten-round bout. More importantly, Fundora aims to showcase her all-action style as she looks to entertain and continue raising her profile within women’s boxing as someone whose fights are highly desired by fans.
Filling A Void In Women’s Boxing
Although women’s boxing has come a long way since the days of HOF Christy Martin, it still isn’t anywhere close to how things are with the men in the sport. There are a few reasons for that, and one of them is that the inventory isn’t big, and the level of competition within that small inventory is even smaller. That leads to many one-sided fights or fights that go the distance without any real exchanges that mimic the amateurs. This isn’t a knock on women’s boxing, but these things keep it from growing, amongst other things like fair wages, placement on fight cards, etc.
The 23-year-old Fundora from Coachella, CA, understands the entertainment value part of it and knows that knockouts, or something close to it, will win fans over, which is why she has such a downhill offensive approach when she laces the gloves. “I get the knockouts,” said Fundora. “Not many females are doing it, and I think that separates me from the rest.”
Fundora saying out loud that there aren’t a lot of women getting knockouts is something that hasn’t been discussed publicly within women’s boxing. With that being said, a fighter in women’s boxing who has the skills to go for stoppages in a fight will more than likely get the attention of fans instantaneously because you don’t see it enough. Fundora saw the opportunity and took it, which is why she is headlining a show on Saturday night in Oceanside.
“I’m only 23, and when starting out, I recognized that this (getting knockouts) was what I needed to do to get attention because, obviously, boxing is a male dominant sport,” Fundora told FightsATW. “Regardless of male or female, people like knockouts.”
The Champ Is Here
Fundora will be defending her titles this weekend, and for someone who knew she would be a champion the minute she laced up the gloves, Fundora was a little surprised that it came as quickly as it did. “I always knew I was going to be a champion,” said Fundora. “It did come faster than I expected, but I’m not complaining. It’s good.”
Since the fight is in Southern California, Fundora expects her hometown fans to “show up” as she headlines an arena that is six months old, and this will be its first boxing event. Fundora is as confident as ever and with all eyes on her at the end of the night, what would be the thought she would want to leave with the fans after they watch her main event? “That was a spectacular Fundora show and we are going to see another Fundora show soon.”
Whether Fundora can raise her profile to the level of Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor is still to be determined, but if she can continue her dominant ways, the sky is the limit for the undisputed flyweight champion.
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