Sebastian Fundora vs Chordale Booker betting tips: Challenger Chordale reaches for the sky against the 'Towering Inferno’

Tale of the tape: Sebastian Fundora vs Chordale Booker

Sebastian Fundora: Can ‘the Towering Inferno’ stay up high at the top?

Unified WBC and WBO super-welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora stands at 6’ 5½” with a colossal 80” reach. Not only is he advantageously tall, but he’s also a southpaw.

The Californian combatant rose through the ranks for four years from his 2016 debut, stepping up to win his first 12-round contests via quick KO.

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In 2021, he won via decision against a 33-0 Sergio Garcia, then climbed off the canvas in his next bout against Erickson Lubin to stop ‘The Hammer’ after nine rounds to claim the vacant WBC Interim super-welterweight title.

He reigned as the interim champ for one year between April 2022 to April 2023. Then, in the second defence of his green and gold belt, disaster struck against the unheralded Brian Mendoza in what was supposed to be a keep-busy fight.

Fundora was in control of the contest, winning every round on two of the judges’ scorecards until one punch changed it all. 

Early into the seventh stanza, Fundora pawed with his southpaw jab, leaving the entire right side of his body open, which prompted the underdog to launch a huge, chopping left hook. 

This stunned the champion cold, and Mendoza took full advantage and landed another big right hand on the frozen target to send ‘the Towering Inferno’ crashing down.

Fundora bravely sat upright, but couldn’t continue. He mistakenly chose to fight Mendoza in a phone box, admitting that he loves a toe-to-toe war.

In his comeback fight, one year later, he was able to spring an upset of his own against unbeaten Aussie star Tim Tszyu. 

This time, the American used his attributes to full advantage to keep ‘The Soul Taker’ at the end of his fists as he jabbed and peppered his way to a unanimous decision victory in Las Vegas, last March.

Tszyu was badly impaired by the flow of blood gushing from his forehead, but Fundora had to deal with a bloody nose too, in what was a scene of savagery and brutality. 

Fundora walked away from the bloodbath with the WBC and WBO world titles, which he now defends for the first time. Which begs the question are short-priced favourites worth their value?

Chordale Booker: ‘The Gift’ that keeps on giving

Connecticut’s Chordale ‘The Gift’ Booker shares similarities with Sebastian, in that he is also a southpaw who has one solitary loss on his record.

The 33-year-old from Stamford fought up-and-coming prospect Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams two years ago in 2022, but was stopped in the very first round of their WBA Continental Americas middleweight title fight.

Williams overwhelmed Booker early, setting a high pace and walking his man down until he trapped him on the ropes and bombarded him relentlessly until he was unable to answer back.

Since then, Booker has reeled off six wins on the spin, including four KOs and a WBC USA super-welterweight title.

Despite no substantial scalps on his record still, his impressive streak has earned him a WBO #5 and WBC #13 ranking, plus this unexpected world title shot.

Sebastian Fundora vs Chordale Booker: The key factors

Booker adopts a Philly Shell in the ring, where he keeps his right arm protecting his middle and his left up by his chin, using a shoulder roll to evade attacks. 

He likes to crouch down low to land jabs from awkward angles, which he flicks out from his hip. Muscly and powerful, he has a potent left hook that has dropped many unsuspecting opponents.

To say Fundora is tall and rangy is a gross understatement. He even makes Thomas Hearns appear small, standing at least 4” taller than him, who also started his career at super-welterweight and won world titles all the way up to cruiserweight.

Fundora possesses a nice, snappy jab and a powerful backhand left, but his uppercuts from close distance are his favourite shots, which is an area he really shouldn’t find himself in, but, by his own admission, prefers it.

In this championship contest, if Fundora opts to keep it sensible and long, then he could jab his way to a points victory. But if he chooses to stand toe-to-toe, then although he could land his high volume of heavy uppercuts, he could also be risking it again.

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Booker has a powerful left hook, which is the offending punch that stunned Fundora in his KO loss to Mendoza, so he is going to be a danger throughout. 

He is capable and awkward and will give Fundora plenty to think about in those early rounds.

However, Fundora possesses the greater experience at the world level, of which Booker presently has none.

Fundora is a patient fighter and should be on a level above Booker in this match-up. 

If the Californian can stay disciplined and see his game plan implemented to the letter like he did against Tim Tszyu, then he should gradually work out the puzzle in front of him. 

He has a 7-8” height and 10” reach advantage, so he must use those gifts to stay sensible, score shots from a distance and not take any unnecessary risks.

FIRST’s’ top tip for Sebastian Fundora vs Chordale Booker

Defending champion Fundora to stop Booker in rounds 7-12 is currently 10/3 at Coral.

Pick: Sebastian Fundora to stop Chordale Booker in rounds 7-12 - 10/3 (Coral)

Extra tips 

For Fundora to win earlier than predicted, Ladbrokes rates a fifth-round knockout at odds of 12/1.

Pick: Sebastian Fundora to win via fifth round knockout - 12/1 (Ladbrokes)

Odds correct at the time of writing.