It was déjà vu on Wednesday as WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora and challenger Keith Thurman attended a press conference hosted by Premier Boxing Champions and TGB Promotions. Their fight will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV, and will stream live on PPV, Saturday, March 28.
The two were originally supposed to meet in October, but Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs) suffered a hand injury that postponed the fight, which is now scheduled for March 28. The press conference held in Los Angeles did not include anyone else but Fundora and Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs), as it seemed they just wanted to get the press conference done for the announcement and plan a separate event for the undercard announcements.
As expected, Thurman was the life of the party as he spoke of hashtag timber and even had some shirts made with an image of him chopping down a tree that has boxing gloves. Those shirts were tossed into the area where people were sitting and got a good laugh out of them. Fundora, whose quiet personality at times holds him back from becoming a star, had very few words to say when it was his turn.
In the end, both fighters are once again on a collision course with the hopes of actually making it to the ring this time.
Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday from Avalon Hollywood:
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
“We had this fight scheduled for October before the hand injury, but we’re healthy and ready to do it now. We’re gonna go in there and do what we always do. I’m gonna retain this title and remain world champion.
“We’re feeling great. This is a fight that people wanted to see and we’re happy to provide. The injury was just one of those things that happen. We just had to wait for it to heal.
“The more time to prepare the better. We’re ready to go and deliver a great night for the Fundora team on March 28.
“Right now it’s all just talk. He’s an experienced fighter, and anything can happen in boxing, but we train to be prepared for anything. When you do that, things will come out your way.
“A win would be another great highlight of my career. It would show that we’re moving in the right direction and taking the right steps.
“We live and we learn from our mistakes. We’ll be there on March 28 to show you what we’re all about.
“I think everybody underestimates me. That’s part of the game. Whatever they say, you just have to go out there and show everyone what you’re made of.
“This is my third time fighting at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and this time we’re headlining and I’m really grateful for the opportunity. I have to take advantage of it.”
“I already see the mistakes that he’s unfortunately gonna be making on March 28. Boxing isn’t about the talk though, it’s about delivering in the ring. Fundora is a man of few words, but many punches. And because of that, you can guarantee that this pay-per-view is a can’t-miss.
“Beating me would be the greatest accomplishment of your career Fundora, don’t lie to yourself…You have been hit and not gotten off the canvas. I’m happy to make you experience it again.
“I’m looking forward to boxing hard and putting on a great performance to get that belt right there.
“To me, the real great champions are the type of champions who stumble, only to rise up again. That’s what I’m trying to do right here right now.
“I’m already a stamped Hall of Famer for what I accomplished at welterweight. But what I love about this fight is that there are only so many fighters from my generation who are still here today. There is a plethora of young fighters that have taken over, including Sebastian Fundora. I believe in my skills and my talent. Say I’m the gatekeeper, but I’m the final boss.
“Sparring is gonna be really solid for this fight. I was starting to get used to the height and reach discrepancy last camp and now I’m just activating that muscle memory for this camp. This was my first time sparring guys that tall, so having this extra time makes me feel more confident.
“My original coach Ben Getty used to say: ‘you do your homework, you pass the test.’ Now that we’ve had more time to study, I plan on passing with flying colors.
“I’m so grateful to be back in the ring. I wanted this dream to come true last year, but sometimes patience is a virtue. We’ve got one thing on our mind this whole camp, and that’s timber!”
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