By: Hans Themistode
Jeison Rosario will have an opportunity to jump right back into the title hunt in his next contest. As first reported by boxingscene.com, the former unified Jr middleweight titlist has agreed to terms with contender Erickson Lubin.
Currently, no date or venue has been revealed as of yet but the pair are officially heading towards a showdown in the coming months. For Lubin, a matchup with Rosario is exactly what he’s called for as he continues to rehabilitate his image following a knockout loss at the hands of Jermell Charlo in October of 2017.
Since the stunning one punch defeat, Lubin (23-1, 16 KOs) has dusted himself off and handled his business in the ring, winning five straight. The 2016 ESPN prospect of the year added former Olympian Terrell Gausha to his win column as the two battled it out in September of 2020. Lubin easily outboxed his man during the first half of the fight before struggling down the stretch to eke out the close decision win.
As for Rosario, his time at the top of the division proved to be transient. After upsetting the odds by punishing former unified Jr middleweight champion Julian Williams via fifth-round knockout, Rosario’s title reign was immediately truncated in his next contest against Jermell Charlo.
No matter how hard he tried, Rosario (20-2-1, 14 KOs) simply found himself outgunned on the night. The Dominican Republic native peeled himself up off the canvas in the first and six rounds. While he proved to be resilient, Rosario was ultimately sent to the canvas for the third and final time in the eighth round.
Presently, thanks to his five consecutive wins, Lubin occupies the number one spot in the WBC rankings. He’ll look to solidify his status in the division with a win over the former belt holder.