When Jermell Charlo clipped Erickson Lubin with a short right hand, “The Hammer’s” legs crumpled at the knee.
His body betrayed him.
The ref brought the bout to a screeching halt just 2:41 into their October 2017 fight. It took Lubin, then days shy of turning 22, six months to recover from that stinging loss and get back in the ring. Since he has done so, all Lubin has done is win and against quality opponents as of late during this stirring six-fight win streak.
There was his outpointing of former world junior middleweight title challenger Terrell Gausha by unanimous decision in September 2020 and a sixth-round KO of former unified world champion Jeison Rosario last June to add to his burgeoning menace as a capable big puncher.
Now, Lubin will look to extend his winning streak to seven fights when he clashes with Sebastian Fundora in a WBC junior middleweight interim title matchup from The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on Apr. 9.
A win and Lubin, now 26, could face the winner between Charlo and Brian Castano from their May 14 undisputed championship fight.
Although Lubin (24-1, 17 KOs) would love to get a chance to avenge his sole pro loss against Charlo, he wants it to be known that he’s going to keep working to solve who’s immediately in front of him as he’s been doing and has earmarked as a hallmark of his streak.
“I’m not really chasing Charlo. I’m just beating the big names,” Lubin told DAZN News over a recent Zoom call. “Big name after big name, all the top contenders and if it is Charlo, I would love to get my rematch against him. We’ll see what happens between him and Castano. But I know, for sure, I’m next in line for whoever does win that.”
That’s not to say that his sole loss to Charlo didn’t come with invaluable takeaways because it did.
“I feel like when I took that loss, I learned a lot,” Lubin reflected. “I learned a lot outside the ring, inside the ring, patience, maturity … there were a lot of things I learned. But I’m back now and that’s all that matters.”
“The Hammer” has been building up his profile fight after fight with increasingly impressive results so much so that he feels like he’s getting close to peaking as a professional.
“I’m getting close to it (entering my prime),” he offered. “They say you enter your prime around 27, 28-years-old. I’m 26, so I’m definitely getting there. Beating top contender after top contender, I’m doing a champion’s job.”
A win over undefeated six-foot-five Fundora would put Lubin back on the precipice of a world title shot. And before he even gets a chance to formally receive that opportunity, Lubin stands supremely confident that his slow grind will reap different results this time around.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m going to be a world champion.”
Chopping down Fundora convincingly would help along his way of proving it.