Kicking off Fight Week in Las Vegas, Sebastian Fundora and Chordale Booker showcased their skills at a media workout at Boxing VIP. The pair battle it out in the main event, live on Prime Video from the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on March 22.
Coachella’s unified WBC and WBO super welterweight champion Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) makes his first championship defense. Booker (23-1, 11 KOs) of Stamford, CT fights for his first major title.
“I’m very excited to have another headliner here in the boxing capital of the world of Las Vegas and defend these two titles,” Sebastian Fundora said. “I’m ready for Saturday night.”
“I think I showed my boxing skills and what I can do with my jab in my last fight. I’ll be ready to do it again if I have to on Saturday night.”
“The older I get, the more I feel like I’ve been learning in this sport. I was still growing into my man body and I feel like I’m fully a man now.”
“I definitely think I’m a better fighter now that I’ve won these belts. I was confident before, but now there’s an extra confidence that I have with being a champion. I proved to the world that I’m the best in this division.”
“I was the underdog in my last fight and you all saw how that went. We’re definitely not looking past Booker. This is what we’ve been focused on for three months and we’re going to show everyone what we came to do.”
“The best defense is offense. If you’re not punching, they’re gonna be punching you. There’s only one thing in boxing, it’s simple. You have to throw punches.”
Chordale Booker said, “Everybody at the top of the division has been on my radar. Fundora is the guy with the belts, so I was excited to take on the challenge.”
“In my opinion, this is the best weight class in boxing because we have so many different guys who could win on a given night. It’s the most competitive division in the sport.”
“Fundora covers a lot of distance, so it’s not easy to avoid getting into a firefight with him. I don’t care how I have to fight to get the win though. I’ve trained to shock the world.”
“I don’t think anyone can really prepare for Fundora’s size until you get in the ring and go a few rounds with him. You have to get a gauge for how tall he is and how long his arms are. We brought sparring partners in that simulated him as best they could and I think I’m going to be just fine with the height.”
“Some people like Fundora just enjoy going toe-to-toe because that’s their style and that’s what they’re better at. In the Tim Tszyu fight he was actually boxing, so I’m prepared for anything.”
Guido Emmanuel Schramm vows to ‘shock the world’ against Jesus Ramos
Also partaking in Wednesday’s open workout were the fighters featured on the Fundora vs Booker undercard. The co-feature is a super welterweight bout between Jesus Ramos Jr. (22-1, 18 KOs) of Casa Grande, AZ and Guido Emmanuel Schramm (16-3-2, 9 KOs) of Argentina.
“We were presented this opportunity and we were excited to stay active,” Jesus Ramos Jr said. “I like the quick turnaround after fighting February 1.”
“I feel like I’m even sharper now than I was on February 1. We’ve had great sparring and I feel really good and I’m looking forward to it playing out that way on fight night.”
“Guido is an awkward boxer. He puts his hands down and comes forward. He’s not scared to slug it out and I like that. It’s gonna be an exciting fight.”
“I’m glad that he’s coming to fight and that we’ll be able to give the fans a great fight. I take all of my opponents seriously and I don’t underestimate anyone.”
“I have to put on a dominating performance to keep getting bigger and bigger fights. We’re ready for big names and have to show what level we’re on”
Guido Emmanuel Schramm said, “I’m going to shock the world and get the knockout on Saturday night. “We’re here to win. That’s my job and that’s what I’m coming for. I have a tremendous team and everyone is going to see what I’m capable of. I have no doubt that I’m gonna pull off the upset.”
“I’ve always had Jesus Ramos Jr. in my sights. I’ve been watching his fights for a while now, so I jumped at the chance to fight him when it was brought to me.”
“I’ve spent a lot of time sparring with Brian Castaño. We’ve known each other for a long time and have shared many rounds together. I’ve sparred Gervonta Davis and Manny Pacquiao just to name a couple, and that’s all going to help me against Ramos.”
“I’m a warrior. I’m not just here to cash a check. Everyone is going to see me at my best on Saturday night.”
‘My journey back to the top starts on Saturday’
Kicking off the action, Elijah Garcia (16-1, 13 KOs) of Glendale, AZ and Terrell Gausha (24-4-1, 12 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio square off at middleweight.
“I’ve been training here in Las Vegas for the last eight months now and it’s been nothing but sleeping, eating and boxing,” Elijah Garcia said. “I’m prepared, I’m ready and this is the best I’ve ever felt.”
“I’m really excited to get back in the ring and show everyone how much I’ve improved. My journey back to the top starts on Saturday.”
“I had a bad performance in my last fight and I just need to move on to the next. The biggest thing that I took away from the fight is that I needed to have a better camp and pay more attention to my weight.”
“I said after the loss that Bob Santos was the best option for us. He’s got a great team that comes with him and now I feel the best that I ever have. Nobody likes losing and I’m a sore loser. I knew that I had to get better.”
Terrell Gausha said, “I’m expecting him to come out like he always does and bring the pressure and try to go to the body. With the way I box, that’s how everybody comes at me. So I’m used to fighting guys with his skillset.”
“This fight means a lot. I’m here to show that I’m still one of the top guys in the game. I have to get the victory to keep the big fights coming. I know that I have to perform.”
“It’s a blessing to be on this platform. When I was a kid, these are the kinds of fights I wanted to be in. I’ve had the same team my whole career and I’m blessed to still be doing it at this level.”
“I want to keep going and fight all the big names. Everyone knows that I fight any and everybody. I just have to take care of business on Saturday first.”
“It’s been a good camp without anything to slow me down. I’ve had a really long time to prepare for Elijah, so I’m definitely ready to get in the ring.”
Among the bouts featured on the Fundora vs Booker non-televised undercard, Las Vegas native Freudis Rojas (14-0, 11 KOs) faces Maurice Lee (15-1-2, 6 KOs) of Covina, CA at welterweight. Alberto Mora Garcia (12-0, 9 KOs) of Mexico and Viktor Slavinskyi (15-3-1, 7 KOs) of Ukraine clash at super featherweight. Robert Guerrero (5-0, 2 KOs) of San Jose, CA takes on Sean Armas (6-1, 3 KOs) of Pomona, CA at lightweight.