Erickson Lubin: Minor setback to a major comeback

After suffering a stoppage loss to Sebastian Fundora in April, Erickson Lubin is determined to not let that speed bump get in the way of another title shot.

Erickson’ The Hammer’ Lubin (24-2) is a 27-year-old super welterweight out of Orlando, FL, who was considered a highly touted prospect after turning pro back in 2013. After paying his dues on the way up the rankings, the opportunity of a lifetime was presented in the form of facing Jermell Charlo for the WBC title. At the time, he was 22 years old and ready to take on the world. Things didn’t necessarily go his way as Charlo stopped him in the first round, and fans started questioning whether Lubin was the real deal or a bust.

Lubin and his coach Kevin Cunningham, regrouped, figured things out, and got back to it in hopes of regaining the momentum they had going into the Charlo fight. After six consecutive victories, Lubin was right back where he once was, and things started to look bright for the super welterweight contender. The opportunity then came up to fight for an interim WBC title, and Lubin, of course, accepted it, as he was now going to be facing the man referred to as “The Towering Inferno” Sebastian Fundora.

That fight took place in April, and no one really knew how it would turn out because of the difference in styles, but once that bell rang, those watching were about to witness an absolute war and a round-of-the-year nominee. Fundora caught Lubin in round two, sending him down to the canvas for the fight’s first knockdown. Lubin was then able to catch the 6’6″ Fundora in round seven, which resulted in a knockdown, but that small win only lasted but so long. Fundora and Lubin were going at it, and the crowd at the venue was going crazy. But as the fight continued, it seemed as if Fundora was winning the war of attrition, and Lubin’s face was getting the bad end of Fundora’s punches.

Erickson Lubin is staying ready as he looks to have a bounce back year in 2023.

Finally, in round nine, Lubin’s coach decided to stop the fight as his whole face was extremely swollen, and it appeared like he had a broken jaw or orbital bone. Lubin showed a ton of heart that night, and everyone left the arena thinking that no one would ever question Lubin’s mental and physical toughness. Although many speculated what the injuries that Lubin suffered could be, “The Hammer” told FanSided that it wasn’t as bad as what everyone made it seem to be.

“I hear a lot of people saying that I had a lot of injuries cause of that fight. But when I went to the hospital that night, they only said that I had a hairline fracture on my nose. I understand why my trainer stopped the fight because he didn’t know what was on my face; all he saw was swelling. He saw that my eye was swollen and my nose was swollen. He was just being a trainer and a human being, a father-type person. I could have sneezed that back in place. I was ready to fight all night. I trained for twelve and fifteen rounds, but due to the injuries that I had in the fight, my trainer ended up stopping the fight,” said Lubin.

That was a mature answer by the Orlando native, as most fighters would have blamed the coach, but Lubin didn’t do that as he instead supported his coach in the decision that was made that night. Since not many have heard anything from Lubin, people wondered whether he would be fighting again and were just looking for an update on his status as a fighter. Lubin told FanSided, “I mean, do you not get medically cleared when you heal from a hairline fracture on your nose? That’s all I had. Once that healed, I was all the way good. That was nothing to me. Honestly, I was ready to keep going for twelve rounds. But, you know, him (Kevin Cunningham) being on the outside looking in, he just made the best decision, and I don’t blame him for that. That’s why we are still together and in the process of getting to a world title”.

Lubin continues to train in Florida, hoping to get that phone call soon that will see him face an opponent in the squared circle. There isn’t a fight date yet, but he is “playing it by ear” for now, which means staying in the gym. Being the optimist, Lubin said, “My plan for next year is to keep chasing the world title. I said it before; I don’t want any tune-up fights or any fights that just don’t mean anything. I want the fights that are very significant. So, by the end of my career, I’m highly recognized.” This again speaks to the huge heart of a fighter that Lubin carries that will get him to the mountaintop one day, as consistency often brings you to where you want to go in life.

Speaking of a big heart, that warrior heart inside the ring is dominated by his love for Malachi (5) & Mila (1), Lubin’s two kids. Oftentimes, fighters put it all on the line to feed their families, giving them the drive to want more. But with that comes the not-so-pleasant side, where you may have to explain why you are all bruised or cut up. That has to be a difficult conversation to have, so how does Lubin have that discussion with his five-year-old son Malachi? Lubin told FanSided, “He went to the fight when I fought Rosario. Seeing how happy I was, I brought him into the ring and everything. So he knows. That’s my job. He’ll see me wake up in the morning and go for a run, or he’ll come with me to the gym. He just understands that this is my way of living.”

Moving on to some of the other things that Lubin has going on, he gives some boxing lessons and also teaches women how to defend themselves. “Women’s boxing is on fire right now. You got Alicia Baumgardner, Mikaela Mayer, and Claressa Shields, the greatest woman of all time. So, looking at these women, they could be like big motivation to the women that always wanted to box or have been in a situation where they had to defend themselves. It’s not enough for me to teach a woman how to defend themselves because many women are being harassed or abused by other people or men in relationships. I feel like with women boxing and me being able to teach women how to defend themselves; we’ll add more light to women’s boxing in general.”

Lastly, what does Lubin want to say to the fans of the sport that he gives his all for? Lubin told FanSided, “Just stay tuned. There is big news coming soon. I’ll be fighting early next year or maybe even later this year. I’ve been in the gym training and am fully healthy and ready to do it again.”