Six undefeated prospects with a combined record of 91-0, led by 6-foot-7 junior middleweight Sebastian Fundora, will pair off in a tripleheader on June 21, Showtime and promoter Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing announced on Friday.
The “ShoBox: The New Generation” card (10 p.m. ET/PT) will take place at the WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa, and feature Fundora taking on Hector Zepeda in the 10-round main event.
Fundora (12-0, 8 KOs), a 21-year-old southpaw from Coachella, California, who is nicknamed “Towering Inferno” because he is taller than most heavyweights, is coming off his biggest win on Feb. 16. That is when he knocked out then-unbeaten Donnie Marshall in the third round of nationally televised. Fundora will be in his first scheduled 10-round fight when he faces Zepeda (16-0, 4 KOs), 21, of Mexico.
“My opponent, Hector Zepeda, is from a respected Tijuana boxing family and he will be very tough,” Fundora said. “A victory over an undefeated fighter like Zepeda will be a big step forward for me. Training is going well, and I’ll be more than ready to give the fans another exciting performance on June 21.”
Zepeda will be fighting in the United States for the first time. His father, Ernesto Zepeda, is a former professional boxer and he’s trained by noted Mexican trainer Romulo Quirarte. Ernesto used to serve as a sparring partner for International Boxing Hall of Famer Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. and Hector is a currently sparring with former middleweight titlist Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
“This is the first opportunity that has been presented to me at this caliber,” Zepeda said. “Fundora is a strong fighter, much taller than most. He loves to exchange blows and I am sure this is going to be a great fight. A victory over Fundora on Showtime will open doors, so that a lot of people will know who I am and open the way for better things in my career.”
In eight-round lightweight fights, Michel Rivera (15-0, 10 KOs), 21, of the Dominican Republic, will meet Rene Tellez Giron (13-0, 7 KOs), 20, of Mexico, in the co-feature and Jose Romero (21-0, 7 KOs), 23, of Argentina, will face Yeis Solano (14-0, 10 KOs), 26, of Colombia, in the opener.
Barring draws, three more fighters will lose their unbeaten records on the prospect-oriented “ShoBox,” on which 186 fighters have suffered their first loss since the series debuted in 2001.