However, Zayas sees things differently. While he acknowledges Fundora’s talent, he believes the section is far too crowded for such a bold statement to be taken as fact.
“The division runs through me,” Fundora said following the Thurman fight.
Zayas has a logical and personal reason to reject Fundora’s claim. His skepticism boils down to the fact that while Fundora talks like a king, Zayas is the one currently collecting the hardware and taking the bigger risks.
From early 2026, Zayas is the one holding the momentum. He is the unified WBO and WBA champion, having claimed those titles by beating Jorge Garcia Perez and Abass Baraou.
While Fundora holds the WBC belt, Zayas is currently the youngest unified champion in the sport. In his eyes, you can’t claim to “run” a section when someone younger than you likes the pieces more.
“He’s a good fighter,” Zayas told Ring Magazine about Fundora. “But there are a lot of fighters at 154. I don’t think the division runs through him.”
WBC junior middleweight champion Fundora’s claim to the throne is a little shaky because he didn’t clean up the division to get there. He won his belts in a chaotic period for the 154-lb class, and skipping a mandatory defense against Xander didn’t help his cause as he was the undisputed King.
Zayas looks at the division and sees a guy with a belt, but not necessarily the guy who beat the best of the best.
Zayas jumps with Jaron “Boots” Ennis on June 27, tells all about where his head is at. If he thought Abass Baraou and Jorge Garcia Perez made him the king, he would coast. By taking on a talent like Ennis, Zayas is essentially saying, “I know I’m not the man yet, but I’m the only one willing to fight the guys who will make me the man.”
The junior middleweight division is probably the deepest in boxing right now. With guys like Madrimov, Ortiz Jr, Murtazaliev and Tellez all in the mix, Zayas is realistic. He points out that Fundora has not done enough to call himself the king. Zayas doesn’t call himself the King yet either.
For Zayas, those wins over Baraou and Garcia were proof that he belongs in the room, but he knows he needs the “Boots” Ennis pelt on his wall before he can start talking about running the entire division.
