Fundora Captures WBC Latino Title with Win over Arellano Reyes

(Photo by Al Applerose)

By Felipe Leon

Coachella, CA’s flyweight sensation Gabriela Fundora (9-0, 4KO) jumps in the WBC rankings at 15 with a lopsided unanimous decision over Naomi Arellano Reyes (9-2, 5KO) this past Saturday night from the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA.  The scheduled ten round bout was for the WBC Latino 112-pound title.

“I think I gave the fans what they wanted which was fireworks,” Fundora said minutes after the fight.  “She was a strong fighter, we kept our composure, our distance, kept maintaining that jab, it was a good fight.”

From the onset of the bout the 5’9” Fundora took advantage of the eight-inch difference between her and “La Chapita”.  Pawing out a constant range finding jab, she kept the hesitant Arellano Reyes of Tepic, Mexico, at bay.  With a rhythm set, the southpaw Fundora began to turn over a right hook after her jab, catching Arellano Reyes on the chin.

With no luck by the third in getting close enough to land to the head, Arellano Reyes attacked the body finding some success in scoring punches to the long torso of Fundora.  Soon thereafter once Fundora began to slightly slow down Arellano Reyes scored several over hand rights to the head of her much taller opponent.

Midway through the bout Fundora began picking up the intensity throwing combinations including a hard flush left hook to the chin of Arellano Reyes.  The Mexican fighter took the punch but looked worse for wear with a bleeding nose.

“I sensed it, when we were in close she let it out a little grunt,” Fundora said when asked about her opponent’s strong chin.  “She is a strong fighter, I expected a strong opponent, I expected a strong fight, that is what it was.”

Near the end of the fight at the prompting of her corner which includes her father and the renowned Ben Lira, Fundora began to look for the knockout.  Fundora attacked the body and added power punches to the head of Arellano Reyes but the tough Mexican withstood the assault.

“I think we are ready, it is just not up to me, it is up to my team,” she said regarding a world title opportunity.  “The only belt I really want is the WBC and right now Marlen Esparza has it so that is who I am looking at.  That is the only belt I want, the only belt I aim for.”

At the end all three judges scored it for Fundora with cards of 99-91 twice and 98-92.

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