Veteran commentator Al Bernstein voiced his disappointment about Keith Thurman being given a world title shot against WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora on October 25th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The Veteran Commentator’s View
Bernstein, who has been broadcasting boxing for 45 years since 1980, says he doesn’t like that Thuman, 36, is being given a chance to fight for a title against Fundora after only one fight in the 154-lb division against Brock Jarvis earlier this year on March 12th.
Al states that he would have preferred to see one of the top contenders in the top 12 be given a title shot against Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs). The former WBA and WBC welterweight champion Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs) has fought just once in the last three years since 2022. Keith earned an #8 ranking with the WBC with his third-round knockout win over Jarvis last March in Sydney, Australia.
Why the Matchup Rankles
“Fundora is defending his 154-lb title against Thurman, who has had only one fight at 154 lbs. Of course, he’s had long stretches of inactivity over the years, and he’s 36,” said Al Bernstein to Salita Promotions channel. “This match rankles me in this sense. There are a number of good 154-pounders who could get this title shot.”
Bernstein doesn’t mention any of the contenders that he believes are more deserving of the #8 WBC-ranked Thurman for the title shot against ‘The Towering Inferno’ Fundora on
Fundora vs. Thurman will headline on Premier Boxing Champions PPV on Prime Video on October 25th. With PBC making this a pay-per-view event, it was vital for them to have a proven entity with a track record of success to sell.
Thurman has been involved in four successful PPV events in his career:
- Shawn Porter (2016)
- Danny Garcia (2017)
- Manny Pacquiao (2019)
- Mario Barrios (2022)
The Case for Other Contenders
“One of my pet peeves is fighters that jump into a division and are there for a minute or two in a division where there are really good fighters,” said Bernstein. “There are a bunch of other fighters that could have had that title shot. I understand Fundora has fought a pretty tough slate and made a mandatory title defense just prior to this against [Tim] Tszyu.”
Fundora has had repeated tough fights since 2021 against these fighters:
– Tim Tszyu x 2
– Erickson Lubin
– Brian Mendoza
– Sergio Garcia
– Carlos Ocampo
The only fight of those six that Fundora lost was against Mendoza when he was knocked out in the seventh round on April 8, 2023. Sebastian was ahead by the scores 60-54, 59-55, and 60-54 at the time of the stoppage.
PBC’s Business Justification
“I understand why they would want to take this well-known fighter [Thurman], who is good at promoting fights, as Keith Thurman is, and create this match-up,” said Bernstein. “In this instance, with all the good 154-pounders out there, it feels to me like somebody else among the top 10 or even the top 12 could have found his way into this match-up.
“It may turn out to be a great fight. Maybe in the ring, it’ll be a terrific matchup. If it is, it’ll entertain boxing fans. But for me, I’d rather see one of those top 154-pounders,” Bernstein.
Last Updated on 08/21/2025
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