By: Hans Themistode
As Erickson Lubin looks back on his career, the 26-year-old realizes that he was entirely too eager to become a world champion.
In 2017, at the age of 21, Lubin brazenly challenged Jermell Charlo for his WBC 154 pound crown. Although the talent was ostensible, Lubin quickly realized that a showdown against Charlo was far too soon, thus suffering defeat via first-round stoppage.
Since then, however, Lubin has dusted himself and worked diligently on his craft, resulting in six consecutive victories. Although Lubin now holds wins over several top contenders such as Nathaniel Gallimore and Terrell Gausha, as well as triumphs over former world champions Ishe Smith and Jeison Rosario, he’s faced with a monumental task, both literally and figuratively, come Saturday, April 9th.
On the night, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lubin will take on Sebastian Fundora. Once the pair officially square off, Lubin will be forced to crank his neck upward as takes on the 6’5 junior middleweight contender. But while Fundora holds an eight-inch height and six-inch reach advantage, Lubin isn’t concerned with his physical dimensions.
“He’s a good fighter,” said Lubin to BoxingScene.com. “I know he comes always ready to fight. He brings the fight to you but as long as he weighs 154 pounds on that scale, that’s all that matters to me. I think skills are everything, if you don’t got skills, you really can’t f*ck with me.”
Despite being gargantuan for the weight, Fundora has seldom used his eye-catching height to keep opponents at bay. Instead, he’s often opted to stand right in front of his opposition and slug away.
For the most part, Fundora’s propensity for high octane bouts has ended badly for his opponents. In three of his past four contests, only Sergio Garcia, his most recent opponent, has reached the final bell.
Regardless of Fundora’s obvious punching power, Lubin shrugs his shoulders as he places the finishing touches on an arduous training camp. With fighters such as Fundora, Tim Tszyu, and Magomed Kurbanov gunning for their shot at a world title, Lubin is prepared to show why his name should be protruding near the top of the line amongst his fellow contenders.
“I’m a show that I’m different from all of these other contenders.”
