Highlights and results: Mendoza shocks Fundora with knockout upset

Brian Mendoza send the “Towering Inferno” crashing down in a massive upset on Showtime.

Brian Mendoza sent shockwaves through the 154 lb division, knocking out Sebastian Fundora in their Showtime main event.

The end came at 39 seconds of the seventh round.

The win gives Mendoza (22-2, 16 KO) the interim WBC title at 154 lbs, and it’s now Mendoza as part of the queue to face Jermell Charlo, the currently injured undisputed champion of the division.

Mendoza was an enormous underdog here, with this expected to simply be another “stay-busy” type of fight for Fundora as he waited his turn for a major fight.

And Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KO), the 6’6” southpaw, was in control of the fight, doing some good work, before he was simply dropped hard, and Fundora was aware, but he took the full 10 count.

It is obviously a massive win for the 29-year-old Mendoza, who rockets into true relevance in one of boxing’s tougher divisions, and a huge, huge setback for Fundora.

Fundora vs Mendoza highlights

Undercard results and highlights

• Brandun Lee UD-10 Pedro Campa: Scores were 97-93, 98-92, and 99-91 for Lee, who stays unbeaten at 28-0 (23 KO), while Campa drops his second straight to fall to 34-3-1 (23 KO). CompuBox saw Campa landing 186 punches to lee’s 159 and throwing 745 to Lee’s 505, Lee did land a lot more jabs, 52 to 17, and 64 of Campa’s power punches landed were to the body. Lee felt that the fight was “a little close,” but that he deserved the win, and that he’d landed the better, more effective shots.

• Luis Nunez UD-10 Christian Olivo: Scores were 97-93, 98-92, and 100-90. Controversial decision, and the 10-0 card is getting hammered. Nunez is now 19-0 (13 KO), with Olivo taking his first L and dropping to 20-1-1 (7 KO).

Prelims results and highlights

• Gabriel Maestre RTD-3 Devon Alexander: Alexander (27-8-1, 14 KO) is 36 and has been cooked for years. Maestre (5-0-1, 4 KO) beating him really means nothing at this point, though I’m sure the TV tried to argue otherwise. Maestre is 36 himself but way less miles. Still best-known for his horrendous robbery win over Mykal Fox in 2021 and the surrounding controversy that never saw the fight changed to a no-contest as it really should have been.
• Adrian Corona D-8 Jerry Perez: Scores were two cards of 76-76 and a 78-74 Perez card for the majority draw. Corona is now 9-1-2 (2 KO), with Perez 14-2-1 (11 KO).
• Frank Sanchez TKO-1 Daniel Martz: Yes, that Frank Sanchez, vaunted heavyweight contender (?) and former FOX commentary team hero. This was a stay-busy fight, and Sanchez (22-0, 15 KO) definitely stayed busy. West Virginia club vet Martz falls to 20-11-1 (17 KO) in defeat, but man has he had an interesting life in boxing. On top of Sanchez, he’s also fought Fabio Wardley, Simon Kean, Apti Davtaev, Prince Chuck Martin, Luis Ortiz, Bryant Jennings, and Joseph Parker over the years.