IN HER GOLDEN GIRL ERA: GABRIELA “SWEET POISON” FUNDORA SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDS UNDISPUTED TITLE AGAINST MARILYN BADILLO
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 20 Apr 2025
OCEANSIDE, Calif. (April 19, 2025) – And Still Undisputed WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine world champion Gabriela “Sweet Poison” Fundora (16-0, 8 KOs), of Coachella Valley, dazzled fans at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside with a dominant stoppage of IBF mandatory and world title contender Marilyn Badillo (19-1-1, 3 KOs), of Cuautitlán, Mexico. In the seventh round, Fundora dropped Badillo for the first time in her career with a sharp jab to the face; the referee began a 10-count, and Badillo indicated she could no longer continue, sealing Fundora’s statement victory. The 10-round main event, co-promoted with Sampson Boxing and broadcast live worldwide on DAZN, marked Fundora’s first headlining appearance as she leads a new era in women’s boxing.
"I knew the stoppage was going to come—it was just about how I wanted to set it up," said Gabriela Fundora. "We train really hard, and I'm more mature now; with age comes maturity. In the first round, I was able to adjust to her style and get used to her ducking her head. In the final round, I was like a train—I stayed on her and stayed consistent. I wasn't surprised that she didn’t want any more after the knockdown. This is why I trained so hard. I'm going to go back to the team, and we’ll see what’s next—whether I go down or up in weight—but I’m ready to collect more belts in other divisions!"
In a jaw-dropping upset victory, Jorge “Chino” Garcia Perez (33-4, 26 KOs), of Sinaloa, Mexico, earned a shot at a potential world championship with a split decision win over top super welterweight Charles “Bad News” Conwell (21-1, 16 KOs), of Cleveland. The high-stakes bout featured nonstop action, with both contenders leaving it all in the ring. But it was Garcia Perez’ resilience and aggressive game plan that gave him the edge in the 12-round fight. The judges scored the bout 115-113, 113-115, and 115-113 in favor of Chino. The fight was presented in association with Zanfer Boxing.
“This victory means a lot to me, and I’m emotional because I worked so hard for this fight, knowing what was at stake," said Jorge Garcia Perez. "I knew that if I won, a world title shot would be waiting. Now it’s coming my way. I’ll take on Sebastian Fundora — or even the current IBF champion. I’ll challenge anyone who will give El Chino a chance.”
Featured on the broadcast, recently re-signed cruiserweight Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth (15-1, 10 KOs), of Las Vegas, improved his record and took a major step up in competition against Felix Valera (23-8, 20 KOs), of Santo Domingo. The 10-round bout delivered plenty of back-and-forth action, but the judges ultimately scored it 99-91 in favor of Kalkreuth. In his second Golden Boy matchup, Olympian Ruslan Abdullaev (2-0, 1 KO) faced tough opponent Jino Rodrigo (13-5-2, 11 KOs), of Manila, Philippines, in an eight-round super lightweight matchup. Abdullaev scored a knockdown in the fifth round and earned a unanimous decision, with all three judges seeing it 81-70.
Kicking off the main DAZN broadcast, rising welterweight knockout artist Joel Iriarte (7-0, 7 KOs), of Bakersfield, claimed his first piece of hardware with a first-round knockout of Marcos Jimenez (25-12, 17 KOs), of Cupey Alto, Puerto Rico, to win the WBA Continental Gold welterweight title. Scheduled as an eight-round super welterweight fight, Iriarte sent Jimenez to the mat with a paralyzing punch that forced the corner referee to call the stoppage at 1:44.
As part of the Golden Boy Fight Night: Fundora vs. Badillo prelims, streamed live on Golden Boy’s YouTube channel, San Diego’s Jorge “El Niño Dorado” Chavez (14-0, 8 KOs) remained undefeated in a scheduled eight-round super bantamweight bout against Brandon Douglas (13-2, 11 KOs), of Salt Lake City, Utah. Chavez scored a second-round knockdown in a bout that went the distance, earning a unanimous decision with all three judges scoring it 81-70.
Making both his professional and Golden Boy debut, Olympic medalist Joshua “Good” Edwards (1-0, 1 KO), of Houston, competed in a scheduled four-round super heavyweight bout against Larry Gonzalez (0-1-1), of Clovis, Calif. Calm and composed in his first professional outing, Edwards secured a knockout at 1:51 of the second round after the referee stopped the fight due to the punishment Edwards was inflicting on Gonzalez.
Also on the prelims, 13-time national champion and standout amateur Samuel “Trouble” Castellanos (2-0, 1 KO) made his Golden Boy debut with a first-round knockout of Marc Misiura (3-8-1, 1 KO), of Scranton, Pa. In a scheduled four-round super welterweight bout, Castellanos unleashed a cascade of body shots that led Misiura to retire in the corner at the end of the first round.
On the Golden Boy YouTube prelim show, Oleksandr Gvozdyk (21-2, 17 KOs) scored a third-round knockout over Anthony Hollaway (9-8-3, 7 KOs), of Peoria, Ill. The former WBC and lineal light heavyweight titleholder dropped Hollaway twice in the second round before finishing the job at 1:37 of the third.
Opening fight night with a stellar knockout performance, undefeated prospect Dalis Kaleiopu (7-0, 5 KOs), of Waianae, Hawaii, ended his scheduled six-round lightweight bout against Jesus Ramon Perez (14-21-1, 8 KOs), of Culiacan, Mexico, with a single body shot that Perez couldn’t recover from. The fight concluded at 2:33 of the first round.
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Fundora vs. Badillo was a 10-round fight for the Undisputed Flyweight Championship of the World presented by Golden Boy Promotions in co-promotion with Sampson Boxing. Conwell vs. Garcia Perez was a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Zanfer Boxing. The event was available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.
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