Fundora - Tszyu & Romero - Cruz summary online, round by round, stats and highlights
Fundora stuns Tszyu, surviving bloodbath to become champion
Historical win for Sebastian Fundora
What a night, what a fight! In what was ostensibly a letdown of a main event, the heat was turned up and Sebastian Fundora and Tim Tszyu put on an amazing fight.
When Keith Thurman backed out of the evening with injury just 12 days ago, Sebastian Fundora stepped into the breach. Normally, that would signal an easy night's work for Tim Tszyu. And the first two rounds seemed to point directly to that kind of outcome. But in a massive turnaround, an accidental elbow fo the head saw a huge gash open up on Tszyu's head, pouring blood into his eyes and changing the course of the fight irrevocably.
Fundora looked as if he had no way of dealing with Tszyu before that incident, and indeed afterward, Tszyu still made things difficult, with Fundora's nose streaming blood from the third round onward. In the end, the ring looked more like a crime scene than a sporting venue. Blood was literally everywhere.
While Tszyu was virtually powerless to turn the tide of the fight, blinded as he was by the blood, he still managed to find a way to force a split decision, winning on one judge's card and giving added credence to the need for a rematch.
In the meantime, however, Sebastian Fundora makes history with this win. His sister Gabriela is the IBF World Flyweight champion and for the first time ever, a brother and sister are simultaneous world champions.
While this fight was not thought to promise much before, the main draw of the evening for many fans was the undercard fight between Rolando "Rolly" Romero and Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz. Romero the tactician, quick and twitchy. Cruz the blunt force specialist, charging forward and hammering away. In the end, the hammer was too much for Romero.
After an emphatic eighth round stoppage, Romero was incoherent and dazed in the post fight interview. Let's hope that the doctors took a good hard look at him and that all is well.
All in all, this evening was one to remember for boxing fans. And most importantly, it sets up some truly scintillating future bouts.
GOODBYE!!!
That is going to do it for our live coverage of Sebastian Fundora vs Tim Tszyu. We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did!
Keep abreast of all boxing and sports news with Diario AS USA and stick with us as we bring you a full calendar of top-notch boxing live.
We will return with live boxing coverage soon. Until then, good night and God bless!
History made
For the first time ever, a brother and sister simultaneously hold world titles. Sebastian Fundora's sister Gabriela Fundora is the IBF World Flyweight champion.
AND THE NEW: Sebastian Fundora wins by split decision
The judges saw it:
116-112 Tszyu
116-112 Fundora
115-113 Fundora
and Sebastian Fundora is the new unified WBO & WBC World Light Middleweight champ
That was so hard to score. I actually had it close with Fundora winning 115-114. I gave Tszyu some of the middle rounds because while Fundora was chipping away, it was Tszyu who landed the harder punches. Let's see what the judges saw.
The final round and the men come out as they started, wary, cagey, trying to get their points and get out. Tszyu lands a huge right to the body as Fundora keeps tapping away with that jab. Tszyu lands another right, and then another, but Fundora is still chipping away. As the fight ends, they stand toe to toe, blasting awy at one another. What a fight!
Finally it seems as if Tszyu has come to terms with the blood in his face, attacking with a bit more success here. Both of these men are warriors! They are both battered and continuing on.
Tszyu lands a big right hand and Fundora immediately goes back to work with the jab.
This bout has changed complexion completely. Tszyu is almost unable to mount any kind of effective attack and Fundora, who had trouble keeping Tszyu at bay is now comfortable on the outside.
Tszyu ups the work rate, coming in and landing a great right to the body. All of the blood is not only from Tszyu. Fundora is bleeding profusely from the nose.
This ring is covered in blood. It is like a crime scene out there.
Fundora is working behind that jab again. He is keeping Tszyu at distance and simply racking up points. Tszyu manages to get inside and land a couple of shots to the body, hard shots but not enough to do any damage.
Tszyu goes straight onto the attack, but the first jab that lands, opens that cut again and it is only a few seconds before he is blinded by that stream of blood.
They begin to trade and Fundora is holding his own. He lands a nice left hand to the head. Tszyu comes back with a hard right hand.
The round starts with another medical check, and the doctor allows the fight to contine.
Tszyu lands a nice right uppercut but Fundora is still tap-tap-tapping away with that jab. Yet again, Tszyu lands a great right hand to the body. Fundora throws six or seven jabs for every shot coming back, but Tszyu's shots are hard and accurate.
The blood on Tszyu's head is still flowing freely. It is in his eyes almost immediately and he is unable to get out of the way of Fundora's shots.
Tszyu goes in wild and misses, catching a right hand on the way out.
Fundora sets up Tszyu with the double jab and lands a hard left hand to the chin. Tszyu is almost a sitting duck.
Fundora has blood flowing freely from his nose as well. Both of these men are bathed in blood!
Fundora is now doing good work. With Tszyu unable to launch an all out attack, he is staying in Fundora's power area for longer periods, allowing the rangier fighter to land more shots and pick away at those points.
Tszyu lands a lovel one-two on Fundora, keeping the challenger respectful.
Tszyu has been looked after but wherther it is good enough remains to be seen. Fundora is coming straight after that forehead, taking advantage of the cut.
Tszyu is wiping away at his face. He is virtually blinded by that blood and this has really stopped his attack dead. The tide has turned completely here.
Fundora is sticking that jab on Tszyu at will.
The third round starts with the referee asking the doctor to look at a cut on Tszyu's head. It seems ok so they continue. Tszyu comes out blasting and just pounding away with that right hand. The blood on his head is now covering his face and flowing freely, splashing all over both men. Perhaps that is why Tszyu feels that he needs to end this quickly.
Fundora is not simply waiting to be hit, though. He is upping his work rate and is hitting Tszyu as the Aussie wipes blood from his eye. He can't see!
This blood is everywhere! This is a bad cut, and it is making Tszyu blind at the moment. The cut man is going to have to earn his wage here.
Fundora taps that jab out a little more than in the first round, trying to set up and keep Tszyu outside. Not willing to simply wait him out, Tszyu comes in with a great right hook to the body, rocking the frame of Fundora.
Tszyu lands another right hand, snapping Fundora's head back again. He is having a lot of success with that shot! Fundora is not worrying Tszyu at all. The Aussie is calm and collected.
The height difference is eye catching, with Fundora stading 11 inches taller than Tszyu. And at southpaw, he is awkward to boot. Tszyu has to find a way to solve this riddle.
Fundora is pawing that long arm out there, keeping Tszyu at distance. Tszyu finds a way in and throws a great right hand, snapping Fundora's head back.
Tszyu is the son of legendary Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu and is fighting in Las Vegas for the first time ever. Sebastian Fundora is the former WBC interim light middleweight champion, coming off a loss nearly a year ago to Brian Mendoza.
Tim Tszyu* vs. Sebastian Fundora [WBO & WBC World Light Middleweight]
Now the main event as Tim Tszyu takes on Sebastian Fundora for the WBO & WBC World Light Middleweight titles.
Rolly Romero's post fight interview was bizarre. He is clearly buzzed still, cloudy in the head. He was incoherent when speaking and looked confused, like he doesn't realy know where he is.
The ringside doctors need to take a good look at him.
AND THE NEW: Isaac Cruz wins by TKO!
The referee starts the round by getting the doctor to take a look at Romero. Romero loks confused and the ref explains that he was "very close" to stopping the fight in the last round. The doctor decides that Romero is ok to continue and the round gets underway.
Cruz comes out blasting and the ref calls time to get his glove laces re-taped. Cruz comes out on the restart and lands with both hands! Romero is rocked! Cruz pounces and lands left, right, left! The ref has seen enough and steps in to save Romero! That is it! Mexico has a new world champion! Isaac Cruz is the new WBA World Super Lightweight champion!
Cruz comes out with a double jab, something that he almost never does. Romero is waiting for him to slow down but Cruz is powering forward regardless of anything coming back at him.
Romero is sticking and moving, using that shoulder roll, while Cruz has no defense to speak of, simply munching up every punch coming at him and throwing heavy hands. A huge left lands flush and Romero is staggered! He is in trouble, trying desperately to keep his feet! Romero throws a right cross to slow Cruz down but it is very little!
Romero is desperate to keep Cruz on the outside, jabbing and moving, but Cruz is relentless, marching forward and when he gets into range, working hard shots with both hands to the midriff.
This is a good start from Romero, landing one-two combos and even adding a right uppercut to the mix. Cruz lands a nice right hand and it seems to have Romero all undone. He stumbles back and holds onto Cruz, drawing a rebuke from the referee.
The referee calls time after another clinch and deducts a point from Romero! That is huge!
Romero is landing nice right hands but they are not having any lasting effect on the Pitbull. He needs to get some combinations into play, he can't just rely on single shots to do the work. Cruz's shots are so hurtful that Romero has to rely on levelling the field with quantity of shots.
Cruz lands a right hand and then a left hook and he is brutalizing Romero here! Romero is quick but he is trying to trade with a puncher.
Cruz throws a haymaker of a right hand but comes up empty. That is a heavy hand! If it lands, Romero is in trouble. For the moment, Romero is moving nicely, getting out of trouble and staying away from Cruz.
Cruz comes out marching forward, battering away at Romero's body. Romero seems to have recovered his wits about him to an extent, and is back to stick and move boxing. Cruz is simply walking forward, taking everything that Romero has to offer, throwing heavy hands back at the champ and moving regardless.
This crowd is raucous and they are screaming out suport for Cruz. As expected, Cruz comes out on the attack, throwing big sweeping punches, but Romero is quick, twitchy, and too fast to be caught so easily.
Cruz is tight, closed guard, marching forward, really earning his nickname. He is dogged and he lands a huge left hand and Romero is staggered! Cruz pounces and Romero is covering up but is clearly in trouble here! Romero is clearly not fully recovered but is just about surviving until the bell.
Rolando Romero* vs. Isaac Cruz [WBA World Super Lightweight]
The chief support act is now up. In reality it is more a co-main event, perhaps even THE main event, as Rolando "Rolly" Romero takes on Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz for the WBA World Super Lightweight title. This is a huge USA vs Mexico matchup and the Las Vegas crowd are firmly in the Mexican's corner, despite his opponent being a Las Vegas native.
Erislandy Lara wins by TKO
Zerafa lands a heavy right hand, but Lara covers nicely. Lara stops the advance with a nice one-two. Zerafa goes back on the hunt, stalking forward, but Lara goes back to that heavy one two and drops Zerafa! That left hand is incredible! Lightning quick and hammer heavy!
Zerafa gets to his feet but is clearly buzzed. The referee waves the fight off! That is it!
The southpaw champ Lara is still going strong at 40 years old as Zerafa works the jab from the orthodox side. Both men are cagey, probing, testing out their opponent with single jabs.
Zerafa tries to put combos together, advancing toward Lara but the champ is too wily and experienced to get into trouble.
Erislandy Lara* vs. Michael Zerafa [WBA World Middleweight]
Now we move on to another world title fight as Cuban/American Erislandy Lara takes on Australian Michael Zerafa for the WBA World Middleweight title.
AND STILL: Julio Cesar Martinez wins by majority decision
The judges at ringside saw it as:
113-113
114-112
114-112
in favor of Julio Cesar Martinez who keeps the WBC World flyweight title.
It is interesting that Cordova sees it that way. I scored it 114-112 to Martinez and I feel that the champion did enough to keep his title. It was the two knockdowns that did it for me. Clearly Cordova and his corner see it differently. Let's find out what the judges thought.
The final round sees the two come out swinging for the fences. Both men are trying to get the KO here, perhaps stupidly for Martinez. He is wide open and vulnerable every time he whiffs.
Cordova lands four unanswered punches, sending Martinez back on his heels. As they come back together, Martinez lands a big right that stops Cordova in his tracks.
The two men come into the last minute trading. Cordova is showboating again, completely full of confidence, and as the bell rings Cordova throws his arms in the air and celebrates as if he won the fight. His corner pick him up and parade him around the ring.
The championship rounds start with both men standing toe to toe and trading. Cordova goes down but it is ruled a push and not a knockdown. Martinez is on the hunt, walking forward and chopping at Cordova. The Venezuelan is trying to get his feet to work, but they seem sluggish.
At the halfway point, Cordova works his way back into things, landing stiff jabs that open that cut back up on Martinez's eye. The champ looks exhausted.
Cordova has grown in confidence here in these last couple of rounds, doing some damage to the champ and landing lots of hurtful shots. He comes out compact, letting his hands go, and then getting out of trouble. Martinez has the heavier hands when they land, but Cordova is landing more shots in number if not in power.
Martinez continues to plod forward, marching Cordova down. Cordova and Martinez accidentally clash heads which leaves a gash over Martinez's left eye. The ref calls time to allow the doctor to have a look and then puts the fight back on. Martinez is all adrift here.
Cordova comes out sticking his jab, trying to keep the momentum in his favor. Martinez lands some nice shots, but he is swinging and missing wildly now.
Martinez is still switching, going orthodox and then southpaw, often just squared up to his opponent and often open to be hit.
Cordova is chipping away, landing his shots, single punches and combos, and just taking points. Martinez lands a big right hand that swings the momentum in his favor. Cordova lands a counter left hook and opens that cut on Martinez's eye considerably.
The eighth round opens with both men standing in the middle of the ring, trading shots. They both land cleanly and neither is thinking about defense.
There is blood on Cordova's cheek, which looks to have come from a cut on Martinez's right eye. It looks fairly bad, bleeding here. Cordova is landing cleanly and winding up that right hand. Martinez is not fazed by the showmanship, coming back with a nice combo of his own.
At the halfway mark, Martinez is pulling out to a big lead here, mainly on the back of that two-knockdown round. He comes out and throws a beautiful right hand that sends Cordova stumbling backward. Martinez is looking for that one big knockout punch and when he misses with it, he is off balance. So far, Cordova has not been able to make him pay for it.
A nice three punch combo from Cordova sees Martinez eat a left hook. Again, the power isn't troubling Martinez yet, but he can't simply eat shots like that.
Both fighters are landing solid shots, but Martinez seems to be able to withstand them more than Cordova. The Venezuelan gets buzzed when those heavy shots land and his legs go out from under him.
Cordova is boxing off the back foot as Martinez walks him down. Cordova lands some nice shots and Martinez responds with a stiff right hand that sends his man stumbling to the ropes.
Martinez switches between orthodox and southpaw, keeping his hands low and is taking more shots than he needs to for it.
Cordova is nothing if not aggressive, trying to punch his way into the fight again. And while he eats some shots on the way in, he is landing shots of his own. Martinez has not yet been hurt, but he has been in some trouble.
Cordova gets off balance on the attack and Martinez lands a heavy one-two. Cordova is jelly-legged! He is bouncing all over the ring, almost unable to stand as Martinez chases him around the ring. Somehow Cordova keeps his feet and seems to recover, slopping the assault with a solid jab to the chin. Both trade in the middle of the ring as the bell sounds.
Cordova comes straight bout, trying to re-establish that dominant left hook that worked so well in the first two rounds, but Martinez has him gun shy. Every time Cordova comes in, he is off balance and Martinez sends him running with a counter right.
As Cordova recovers, he lands a huge stiff right that staggers Martinez. It is not enough to do damage, but it slows him down considerably.
Martinez comes out of nowhere with a left hook to the chin that sends Cordova to the floor! That is the first time in his career that he has been knocked down. He beats the count, more frustrated than hurt. Straight back on the attack and Martinez lands another left hook! Cordova is down again! He is in all kinds of trouble here!
Cordova beats the count again and tries to run away but his legs are rubber! Martinez presses the advantage and sticks that right uppercut and left hook onto Cordova almost at will!
Cordova is wobbling all over the place. He needs that bell to come badly!
With 20 seconds left, Cordova looks to have recovered somewhat, lasting to the bell, but what a round! Just when Martinez was falling miles behind in the fight, he comes through with a 10-7 round!
Cordova comes out and lands a great left hook that stumbles Martinez immediately. Martinez's corner read him the riot act between rounds, telling him to close his guard and to get his feet to work. It doesn't seem to have worked so far.
Martinez now counters the attack nicely, landing a double left hook and a stiff right hand, but he needs to get to work if he wants to level the work rate of Cordova. Martinez lands a nice one-two upstairs as the round ends. That was a better round from the champion.
The Mexican champion is defending his title against the Venezuelan challenger. Both come out working from the orthodox stance.
Cordova is very active right out of the gates and he lands a nice left hook to the body, keeping Martinez at bay.
They trade in the middle of the ring, both fighters eating leather in order to land their own. In the first moments here, Cordova looks more tidy, sharper, landing a nice left hook that staggers Martinez.
Cordova has Martinez all out of sorts here, landing a left hook and a straight right cleanly to the head. This first round is a strong start for Cordova.
Julio Cesar Martinez* vs. Angelino Cordova [WBC World flyweight]
The preliminary card is ready to get going and we kick things off with a title fight, one of FIVE on tonight, as WBC World flyweight champ Julio Cesar Martinez takes on Angelino Cordova.
The Full Card
Tim Tszyu* vs. Sebastain Fundora [WBO & WBC World Light Middleweight]
Rolando Romero* vs. Isaac Cruz [WBA World Super Lightweight]
Erislandy Lara* vs. Michael Zerafa [WBA World Middleweight]
Brian Mendoza vs. Serhii Bohachuk* [WBC Interim World Super Welterweight]
Julio Cesar Martinez* vs. Angelino Cordova [WBC World flyweight]
The undercard is set to get underway at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Rolando Romero
Age: 28
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5ft 8in
Reach: 68”
Record: 15-1-0
Isaac Cruz
Age: 25
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5ft 4in
Reach: 63”
Record: 25-2-1
WELCOME!!!
Welcome to Diario AS USA’s live coverage of the WBA World Super Lightweight clash between Rolando “Rolly” Romero and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This fight has been building up nicely with a lot of aggro between the two boxers as Romero insisted on referring to Cruz as “Chihuahua.”
Last July, the Las Vegas native Romero won the vacant WBA belt in a controversial ninth round stoppage of Ismael Barroso by referee Tony Weeks. Barroso was up on most cards and had given a lesson in pugilism to the younger Romero at the time, but with a barrage of shots coming at him, perhaps Weeks was overzealous in protecting the 40-year-old Barroso.
However, since then, Romero has had a full camp with a new team of trainers. He talks a very good talk in front of the cameras but it is still to be seen if he can walk the champion’s walk.
Cruz is a beast of an altogether different makeup. Not as slick or charming in front of the cameras, the aptly named Mexican is ferocious in the ring, charging like a Pitbull and refusing to give his opponents any air. Francisco Vargas and Yuriorkis Gamboa have both felt the fury of Cruz and gave Gervonta Davis a tough night’s work in a decision loss to the knockout artist.
A heavy puncher, Cruz will swarm his opponents and if he can get inside of the jab, Romero could be in a lot of trouble.
This fight is the tastiest on a card that is loaded with title fights. The original headline was a bout for the WBO & vacant WBC World Light Middleweight titles between Australia’s Tim Tszyu and American Keith Thurman, but Thurman pulled out due to a biceps injury in training.
Sebastian Fundora was originally slated to challenge Serhil Bohachuk for the WBC Interim World Super Welterweight title, but with Thurman out he was tapped as a replacement. This brought in Brian Mendoza on a short camp to face Bohachuk for his belt.
In all, six world titles are on the line tonight over five bouts in an action packed card.