Posted on 06/26/2021
By: Hans Themistode
The fun part is truly about to begin for Erickson Lubin. After a grueling training camp that lasted over 12 weeks, the highly rated 154-pound contender is only a few hours away from stepping back inside the ring.
Standing across from him will be former unified champion, Jeison Rosario, in the co-main event at State Farm Arena in Atlanta Georgia. Although he’s always been willing to put in the work, Lubin believes that he took things up a level for his preparation. And while he could have spent the next few minutes breaking down the exact details of why he’ll be in the best shape of his life, the Florida native would much rather let his performance do the talking for him.
“This been the best camp of my whole career and I think this is going to be my best performance,” said Lubin during an interview with Ray Flores. “I’m locked in, I’m ready to rock and show the world.”
For Lubin, the road to a world title has been both relatively easy and excruciatingly difficult. After blasting through the competition at a young age, a flamboyant Lubin screamed from the mountain tops for a shot at a world title. Answering the call, was Jermell Charlo.
The two clashed in the main event slot at the Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York on October 14th, 2017. While fans were just getting comfortable in their seats to watch what many believed was a 50/50 sort of matchup, Charlo sent everyone home early as he landed one punch in the final few seconds of the opening round which ended the night.
Since then, Lubin has been forced to grind his way back up from the bottom. He’s reeled off five straight wins against several notable names and most recently, took care of business against Terrell Gausha in September of 2020, winning a close unanimous decision.
Looking back, Lubin smiles as he admits that he may have been a bit too quick in his bravado for a world title at a young age. That said, with the plethora of experience he has now, he believes he’s ready for the next step.
“I went for the title a couple days after turning 22. I made a mistake and went in there a little bit too early and got caught with a good shot. Now, I feel like I’m more seasoned and way more ready. I like the steps that we’re taking now. We’re fighting these significant opponents. The top guys in this weight class. These are definitely the fights that I needed under my belt to mature in that ring and get the experience that I needed. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m ready for a title now.”
Before Lubin receives another crack at a world title, however, he’ll have to deal with an aggressive, heavy-hitting, former unified titlist who’s anxious to relive his championship moments. The Dominican Republic native was stripped of titles in violent fashion at the hands of Jermell Charlo in September of 2020.
In the mind of Rosario, his loss to Charlo was nothing more than a “fluke” and is motivated to get back on track with a knockout against Lubin. His brazen threats are something that Lubin isn’t taking lightly. All training camp long, the highly-rated contender has used Rosario’s words as a form of motivation. Now, with their showdown just a few hours away, Lubin is foaming at the mouth as he patiently watches the seconds tick off the clock.
“I’m expecting the best Rosario to be out there. That’s what keeps me motivated and keeps that fire in me. I’m looking forward to this.”