GABRIELA FUNDORA: FIGHTER OF THE YEAR 2024
rounds, it could have been stopped anytime from Round 6 onward. Her crowning achievement came in winning her final fight of 2024, when she made history as boxing’s youngest undisputed champion of the four-belt era at just 22 years old, cementing her place in the sport’s record books. Fundora faced off against Gabriela Celeste Alaniz, who proved to be a solid test, managing to put Fundora on the back foot (rarely seen) and catching her with solid right hands. Fundora remained composed throughout and in Round 7 landed a crunching straight left that sent the Argentine to the canvas and ended the contest. We are always looking for boxing’s next superstar, and Fundora has all the credentials to make her a worthy candidate. Her most striking attributes are her height and reach – standing at 5-foot-9, she towers over her flyweight opponents. You might think that with these physical assets, Fundora would choose to box on the back foot, keeping her shorter opponents at the end of her long levers. But you’d be wrong. Fundora’s fighting persona is all business, entering the ring with a “we don’t get paid for overtime” mentality. Her jab serves a dual purpose: first as a rangefinder, methodically prodding opponents into position, and then as a ramrod that pierces through their guard. This power jab commands respect early, often shaking her opponents’ confidence and causing fatal moments of hesitation. Fundora expertly capitalizes on these openings, following devastating left uppercuts to the body with hooks that whip upstairs – a southpaw duo that has become her signature. Fundora’s aggressive, high-volume fighting style, combined with her exceptional reach and long frame, draws compelling parallels to Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns. It’s an apt comparison, as the legendary “Motor City Cobra” was also a master of leveraging his exceptional height and length while maintaining relentless pressure on his opponents. Fundora’s appeal extends well
beyond her prowess in the ring. She embodies a compelling set of contrasts: exuding confidence without arrogance and balancing a warm, friendly demeanor with a ruthless competitive spirit. This duality is perfectly captured by her nickname “Sweet Poison” – as pleasant as she is outside the ring, she’s lethal within it. Her authentic blend of approachability and fierce determination has made her a magnetic presence in the boxing world. Fundora’s rise in boxing has been meteoric. Her trajectory suggests an inevitable move through the weight divisions, potentially collecting more belts along the way – a path well- trodden by boxing’s most legendary figures. However, what boxing truly needs is to see Fundora in matchups that capture the public’s imagination. The sweet science has always shown us that for a champion to achieve true greatness, they need worthy dance partners to create memorable battles. There are former champions whose talents went largely unrecognized, and remain so to this day, due to a lack of opposition that could match their level. Larry Holmes exemplifies this phenomenon, as does Claressa Shields to a larger extent. The question now becomes: Who will step up to create those career-defining moments? I suspect that Fundora will face off with Marlen Esparza, the former WBA, WBC, WBO and Ring Magazine flyweight champion who made history as the first American woman to qualify for Olympic boxing and went on to win bronze at the 2012 London Games. This matchup would be a strategic step in building Fundora’s profile, and one that would likely showcase her physical advantages against the accomplished but smaller Esparza. Some of women’s boxing’s biggest names are in the twilight of their careers. Katie Taylor (38), Amanda Serrano (36) and Natasha Jonas (40) will soon leave a void in the sport that will need to be filled. You’d be hard- pressed to find a better candidate for the future face of women’s boxing than Gabriela Fundora.
SHE ENDED 2023 AS A TITLEHOLDER WITH HIGH POTENTIAL, BUT 2024 WAS THE YEAR WOMEN’S BOXING GOT A NEW UNDISPUTED STAR By Ruth Raper
A s a new year dawns, the boxing world finds itself in a moment of reflection, looking back at the turbulent year that was 2024 while anticipating the promise of what lies ahead. The past 12 months have witnessed several female fighters positioning themselves for greatness in 2025, laying foundations for potentially career-defining moments. Yet few, if any, have commanded attention and respect quite like Gabriela Fundora. The southpaw sensation from Coachella, California, dominated the women’s boxing landscape in 2024. She maintained a perfect record through three bouts, securing two stoppages and displaying such commanding performances that she rarely lost a round. Fundora’s first outing of 2024 saw her take on “The Hell’s Kitchen Kid,” Christina Cruz. In the first half of the contest, Fundora edged forward on the front foot, snapping Cruz’s head back with sharp southpaw jabs. Fundora was able to make the New York native miss by using a slight lean back while still pressing forward (one of the advantages of having a big reach advantage). In the second half of the fight, Fundora upped the tempo and doubled down on aggression, landing hurtful power shots and eventually stopping Cruz to take her unbeaten record. In Fundora’s second fight of 2024, she took on Chile’s Daniela Asenjo, who is 10 years her senior. Fundora won the fight in dominant fashion, showing patience and accuracy. Although the bout went the full 10
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