By Tom Donelson / Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWWA)
Sebastian Fundora kept his unified WBC and WBO championship with an easy fourth stoppage of Chordale Booker. Fundora, who carries 154 pounds on a 6 foot five inches presents a challenge for any fighter, and he used his reach and height to be bloodied Booker behind his left-handed jab.
Fundora stunned Booker and with a combination that sent the challenge down. Compubox punch stats says it all as he landed more than double the punches and dominated power shots landing 50 versus only 16 for Booker.
CompuBox Punch Stats
| Punches | Fundora | Booker |
| Total landed | 79 | 37 |
| Total thrown | 361 | 150 |
| Percent | 21.9% | 24.7% |
| Jabs landed | 29 | 21 |
| Jabs thrown | 211 | 90 |
| Percent | 13.7% | 23.3% |
| Power landed | 50 | 16 |
| Power thrown | 150 | 60 |
| Percent | 33.3% | 26.7% |
Fundora noted Booker did a lot of movement, mostly to avoid getting nailed. Originally he was to fight Errol Spence, but that fight has been canceled.
Fundora has some compelling matches coming up including Puerto Rican undefeated fighter Xander Zayas who is a mandatory opponent or a reunification Bakhram Murtazalieve.
George Forman was one of the great heavyweights and did what was consider impossible, he lost a title in 1974 to the great Ali but then 21 years later he came back in a miraculous way to recapture his title against Michael Moorer, a fight he was losing by a wide margin before he stopped Moorer..
After nine rounds, Foreman was down 9 rounds to zero but in the tenth round, he caught Moorer with a left hook and then finished up Moorer with a straight right. This was a redemption 21 years in the making, making up for his loss to Ali in the rumble in the jungle.
The rumble in the jungle was considered a great upset as Foreman was favored to win by a knockout but Ali out thought him with one of the greatest strategy that only Ali could have done. After a first round of boxing, Ali settled on a strategy to allow Foreman to wear himself out by pounding on him. Rope-a-Dope was invented but only Ali could make it work as he had both the defensive skills and toughness to make it work. Every other fighter who imitated Ali rope -a-dope usually ended up losing by a knockout. Foreman pounded Ali but around sixth round, his punch lost their power and Ali countered. By the eighth round, Foreman had nothing left and Ali put him down for the count.
In a way his own title victory 21 years later was similar whereas Ali was the big underdog against Foreman only to win, Foreman was the big underdog against Moorer and came back to win. Ali had the record of recapturing his title seven years after he was denied his title due to his opposition to the Vietnam war. Foreman waited twenty one years to recapture his title.
Foreman started his career as the next big thing and his knockouts of Ken Norton and Joe Frazier had fans viewing Foreman invincible and the 1970’s look like the decade of Foreman until the rumble in the jungle.
He continued to fight but a lost to Jimmy Young changed his life as he had a vision and became dedicated to Christ. He became a preacher and ten years later he started a comeback at the age of 38 to pay for his church. For many it was a joke but Foreman fight against Holyfield showed it was not a joke as he went toe to toe against his younger foe but fall short in winning his title.
Foreman became a showman and when he wasn’t boxing, he sold his Foreman grill which he would sell to be become financially independent, and he became a fixture on HBO broadcast when HBO was the place for the big events.
Foreman like many in his generation were overshadowed by Ali. Foreman and Frazier and even Holmes would never get their just recognition for being great heavyweights. Larry Holmes after beating an aged Ali still fought in Ali shadow. Ali simply was the dominant fighter of his era and personality in the sport.
Foreman is recognized as one of the all-time great heavyweight champions and became an ambassador of the sport. He fought in boxing in the last great era which ended when Lennox Lewis defeated Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko. An era that spanned from Liston losing to Ali to beginning of this century, some of boxing greatest fighters fought and Foreman was one of those Foreman R.I.P.