Brotherly Love

Erickson Lubin was a 4-year-old when his older brother by six years, Michael Jean Louis, introduced him to boxing. A former fighter, Louis retired in September 2009 with a record of 10-1 (9 KOs).

“My brother used to come home from the gym to teach me moves when I was just 4 years old. It sunk in because when I was old enough to go to the gym. I already knew what to do,” said Lubin to RingTV.com. 

“I had my first amateur bout at eight years old and I knew boxing was something I wanted to do seriously. Even as a kid, I always sparred with bigger kids in the gym and when I made them cry I said to myself ‘Wow, I got what it takes.'”

A nearly 5-foot-10 southpaw with two-fisted power, Lubin has demonstrated that he did indeed have the goods, compiling a 143-7 amateur record at the under-16 level. 

“I was about six-years-old and with a lot of young kids trying amateur boxing. We would all practice around the same time as the older kids, who were like 12- or 13-years-old. There was a kid who was about seven or eight who was one of the better kids. I remember that his name was Monty. My older brother used to always want me to stand out, so he told me to box Monty. Every Friday, they would have big sparring sessions, and on this one Friday, they put me in there with Monty,” said Lubin.

“He beat me up. In fact, Monty beat me up over three consecutive Fridays. My brother was really rough on me. We’d go home and he would tell me, ‘You can’t let that kid beat you up.’ So, I was like, ‘I don’t want to get my ass kicked by my brother and then by this kid, too.’ So, this one Friday, I remember being nervous, and the kid thought it was going to be just another easy day. But I ended up beating him up. From that day on, Monty couldn’t beat me up anymore. The game plan that I had would work every time, and, from then on, I’ve been beating guys up, and I’m still doing it.”

Lubin won amateur Open titles won in the 2013 National Golden Gloves, 2013 PAL Championships and the 2013 Independence Cup, scoring a major upset over 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist Yasniel Toledo in the latter’s semifinals, accomplishments transforming him into one of America’s best hopes to medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. 

But as a high school senior just a few weeks removed from his 18th birthday, Lubin launched his professional boxing career in November 2013, winning his debut by 35-second TKO over Eric DeJesus.

“I was still living with my parents when I decided to turn pro and leave for Miami, which is pretty unusual,” said Lubin, an Orlando, Florida native who turned 18 on October 1, 2013. 

“During high school homecoming, the holidays and New Year’s Eve, I was in the gym training for fights. But I had no problem with that. It’s the kind of sacrifice you have to make if you want to accomplish your dream of being a world champion and being the best.”

Lubin had signed with sign handler Henry Rivalta and Mike Tyson's now-defunct promotional company Iron Mike Productions, upsetting USA Boxing President Charles Butler, who claimed that Tyson’s was hindering the growth of the program’s future Olympic squad. That was significant because USA Boxing, which was shut out at the 2012 London Games, hadn’t had a medalist of any kind since Deontay Wilder earned bronze in 2008. Moreover, the nation hadn’t had a gold medalist since Andre Ward in 2004.

Hammer Time

Lubin won his second pro bout in 61-seconds in January 2014 over Luis Santiago, his third and fourth in the first- and third-rounds over Robert Acevedo Tirobio Ball 15 days apart in February, and his fifth by second-round knockout over Jovan Ramirez in April. 

Santiago entered at 4-0 and Ball at 4-1-1 against Lubin, who earned the nickname “The Hammer” and competed at 147 pounds for his first three fights before rising to 150 for Ball. 

“I have my two hammers—the right hand is the Jackhammer, and the left is the Sledgehammer. I throw them with bad, bad intentions,” said Lubin, who went 7-0 with five knockouts in 2014, sandwiching eight-round unanimous decisions over Noe Bolanos (July) and Norberto Gonzalez (November) around a first-round stoppage of Francisco Javier Reza (August).

“I have a few boxing heroes. Floyd Mayweather, Marvin Hagler and Oscar De La Hoya. Marvin Hagler was just a straight savage, and I take that into the ring with me. I get into savage mode. My top fighter of all time is Floyd Mayweather. But I also like Meldrick Taylor, Pernell Whitaker, ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard and Andre Ward. There are different things that are special about those guys.”

Lubin fought his final welterweight bout against Bolanos, with backside hitting the canvas in Round 1 against Gonzalez. But he went 5-0 with four knockouts fighting at 152 ½ and above in 2015, his initial victory of the year being an eight-round unanimous decision over Mike Finney, who entered their February bout at 12-1-1 with 10 KOs. 

Finney was followed by Lubin’s knockouts in 93-seconds and in the first and sixth rounds over Kenneth Council, Ayi Bruce and Orlando Lora in March, June and September, improving Lubin to 12-0 with nine KOs.

“I consider myself a boxer-puncher. I can fight when I want to. That’s what makes me different. You can bang somebody out really quick, and he’s looking to bang back, [or] you can box and control the pace and catch them unexpectedly.”

In 2016 Lubin went 4-0 with two KOs against a lineup of fighters who possessed a combined record of 99-9-2 heading into those bouts. They comprised 10- and eight-round unanimous decisions over Jose De Jesus Macias (January) and Ivan Montero (July) and third- and second-round knockouts of David Sandoval (June) and Juan Ubaldo Cabrera (December).

Sandoval was 38-3 with 35 KOs, had stopped three straight opponents and been stopped just once previously, Montero was 21-1 with eight KOs, and Cabrera, 23-1 with 15 KOs heading into their bouts with Lubin, who halted Cabrera for the first time in his career and was named Premier Boxing Champions’ Rising Star of the Year for 2016 at 17-0 (12 KOs). 

Lubin next lowered the boom on Mexican steel-chinned power-puncher Jorge Cota, his single devastating left-hand registering a fourth-round TKO over a man coming off a two-knockdown 10-round unanimous decision over 2004 Olympic silver medalist Yudel Johnson in August 2015.

Cota entered the bout at 25-1 with 22 KOs, his only loss having been by seventh-round TKO in June 2012 against three-time 160-pound title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio. Lubin ended Cota’s nine-fight winning streak that included six KOs, outlandinghim, 50-to-32, in total punches, with a 37-to-30 edge in power shots. 

LEARNING TO BOUNCE BACK

Lubin was pursuing his third-straight stoppage and first world championship 13 days after his 22nd birthday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, when WBC king Jermell Charlo’s pin-point, first-round right uppercut sent him crashing to the canvas on October 14, 2017.

“When I was on the floor, trying to get up, I wasn’t conscious, but I wasn’t feeling any pain. It was just a flash shot. To watch [replays of] that was disturbing. The referee saw me fighting hard, and he discontinued the fight because he saw me struggling…fighting to get up,” said Lubin, who toppled to his right side, his left arm and leg flailing as referee Harvey Dock stopped the fight.

“As [Dock] was walking me to my corner, I was like, ‘Oh my God, [expletive].’ I asked my coach, ‘What round was that?’ He was like, ‘Round 1’...That was heartbreaking to know that it was over. I have no excuses. This is boxing. I’m kind of tired of hearing that I’m too young. I’ve heard that, but I dared to be great, early, against a 27-year-old guy. I still believe I could beat Charlo and give him hell, and he even told me that himself.” 

Lubin rebounded with a fourth-round TKO of Silverio Ortiz (October 2018), his first of a 4-0 run with three knockouts since falling to Charlo, before replacing trainer Jason Galarza with former police officer and experienced trainer Kevin Cunningham.

Lubin moved his training camp from Orlando to the West Palm Beach, Florida, gym of Cunningham, who has been credited for training left-handed boxing world champions such as Cory Spinks, Devon Alexander and David Diaz. 

“Kevin is a southpaw specialist. He took Devon Alexander from the amateurs (to champion) and took Cory Spinks from the amateurs to the mountaintop. That goes to show you what he can do for a fighter when he’s all in,” said Lubin, who fights out of a left-handed stance but is actually a natural righthander

“I know for a fact he’s all in with me. I feel like my IQ level has grown just being around Kevin. He makes sure when he talks, you listen. He’s taken my game to a whole other level. He has got me feeling like a veteran hall of fame fighter.”

ON THE RISE AGAIN

At 3-0 in 2019, Lubin’s last three wins were a third- and fourth-round stoppage of Ishe Smith (February) and Zakaria Attou (June) followed by a unanimous decision over Nathaniel Gallimore (October).

Lubin delivered on his vow to be the first man to stop Smith, obliterating the former champion during a four-knockdown affair. Smith’s trainer, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, instructed referee Jack Reiss to stop their fight.

Lubin showed maturity and patience against Gallimore, a late replacement after former U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha suffered a hand injury during training camp.

“There were a couple of things that went wrong that I should have tried to fix, earlier, but it’s time to disprove the naysayers and take my boxing skills to another level. I want the top dogs in the division and a rematch with Jermell. I want to be where I belong, which is at the top, and I want to prove it. I definitely want and need a title shot. There is no one person I wouldn’t be ready for,” said Lubin.

On September 19, 2020, Lubin took on 2012 US Olympian Terrell Gausha in a WBC World Super Welterweight Title Eliminator. A new, improved Lubin overcame the stiff challenge from Gausha, surviving some rough moments in the 10th--and nearly stopping Gausha in the final round--on his way to a 12-round unanimous decision win.

Lubin controlled much of the action, using his jab, angles and body work to dictate the pace. Gausha struggled to get off anything meaningful although he managed to briefly stun Lubin in the 10th with a hard right. But "The Hammer" bit down and fought back. In the 12th, a powerful right hook forced Gausha to hold on. He would survive but Lubin won comfortable by scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113.

Serving Notice to All

Determined to leave no contenders standing his way, Lubin took on former unified champion Jeison Rosario on June 26, 2021 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The bout served as the co-feature to the Gervonta Davis-Mario Barrios main event on PBC on SHOWTIME pay-per-view. 

In a fun back and forth, Lubin's super skill, will and power proved to be the difference as he finished Rosario off in the sixth round. In the third round, Lubin nearly put an early end to the action with a huge frame that had Rosario on the back foot. In the closing moments of the round, Lubin landed a right hook that had Rosario wobbling back to his corner after the bell rang. Miraculously, in the next round, Rosario was able to recover and completely turned the tables, wobbling Lubin with a left jab.

The action turned up even more in the sixth round. Lubin, sensing that Rosario was susceptible to the body attack, landed a vicious left-right body combination that sent Rosario to his knees in what ultimately proved to be the turning point of the fight. Rosario, clearly hurt, was never able to recover and Lubin finished him off moments later against the ropes. 

“I started to hurt him in the body as soon as the first round started,” Lubin said. “I started with the body and I saw him grunt. So I was able to hurt him to the body. I just wanted to distract him with the jab, then go downstairs. And I was able to get him out. I knew even if he got up after the knockdown that the fight was over. I know I’m a great finisher and I knew I was going to get him out of there as soon as I saw him drop.

“I want a shot at the world title next. I want everyone at 154 pounds. I’m No. 1 in the WBC but I chose to fight Rosario. I don’t duck anybody. I want to say that I fought everyone in my division when I win the world title.”

AN EPIC CLASH

On April 9, 2022, top super welterweight contenders Lubin and Sebastian Fundora delivered an instant classic  as Fundora captured the Interim WBC Super Welterweight Title via TKO after nine rounds in the SHOWTIME main event from The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of Curio Collection by Hilton in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
 
In a bout that lived up to the pre-fight hype, both men hit the canvas and showed tremendous fortitude to recover from knockdowns and continue to deliver massive blows. It was the six-foot, six-inch Fundora who struck first with a sweeping right uppercut that sent Lubin to the mat during the final seconds of round two.
 
Despite appearing on shaky legs after round two, Lubin recovered in the final minute of round three to bloody Fundora with a series of head shots. Lubin won three of the first four rounds on all three scorecards, buoyed by a bruising body attack against his taller opponent.
 
In round seven, Fundora and Lubin engaged in a surefire Round of the Year candidate, as both men took serious damage. Fundora’s nonstop volume began to show dividends on Lubin’s face, which started to swell up from damage during the frame. However, Lubin showed championship mettle by turning the tide with an unrelenting series of hooks that eventually forced Fundora to take a knee, the first time he’s been down as a pro.
 
After rising to his feet after the knockdown, Fundora recovered to out-land Lubin 26 to 12 and 28 to 3 in rounds eight and nine respectively, according to CompuBox. Overall, Fundora out-landed Lubin 255 to 149, while Lubin held a 40% to 36% advantage in punch accuracy. Lubin had early success with his jab, landing 18 over the first three rounds, but only connected on 15 throughout the rest of the action.
 
After a one-sided round nine, and with swelling continuing to grow around Lubin’s face, his trainer Kevin Cunningham asked referee Russell Mora to stop the fight, officially ending the action via a TKO after nine rounds. At the time of the stoppage, Lubin led 85-84 on two judges’ cards, with the third judge scoring the fight 85-85.

Lubin proved he was still an elite fighter in June 2023, dropped and stopped Luis “Cuba” Arias (20-4-1, 9 KOs) in the fifth-round of their scheduled 10-round showdown.

“I felt like I was landing my shots pretty well,” said Lubin, “He was a lot slower than I was and I was able to see everything he had coming. I felt good. I’ve been in the gym since my Fundora loss and I’m ready for them all.”

Back In The Saddle

On September 30, 2023, Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs) took home a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. (20-1, 16 KOs) after 12 rounds, winning on all three cards by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113. The fight served as the co-main event to the Canelo Alvarez-Jermell Charlo Pay-Per-View from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. 

“We went in there to feel him out and box him and beat him to the punch with counters because of his strength,” said Lubin. “It was working all night. I was sticking and moving. It was 'Boxing 101'.”

Having previously lost a pair of fights to Jermell Charlo and Sebastian Fundora, Lubin put himself back into contention for another world title fight with this win. The 27-year-old’s success came largely off the back foot as he frequently allowed Ramos to come to him and walked him into counter shots.

“My jab was landing all night,” said Lubin. “He had all his success when I was on the ropes. My coach was telling me to stay off the ropes, so I was trying my best to do that. He didn't show it too much, but I buzzed him a few times.”

Buoyed by the decision victory, Lubin was adamant about his place in the stacked 154-pound division and his belief that he should be fighting for a world title sooner than later.

"This shows that I'm no gatekeeper,” said Lubin. “I'm one of the top dogs in the division. I need a title shot. If those belts present themselves at 154 pounds, I'd like to fight for those belts."