In 2017 and at age 22, 154-pound contender Erickson Lubin had an opportunity to gain his first title against WBC 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo, but Lubin was stopped in the first round by a vicious Charlo uppercut.
Almost three years since his loss to Charlo, Lubin has an opportunity to get another shot at that WBC title. On Saturday, Lubin will battle Terrell Gausha in a WBC Super Welterweight Title Eliminator live on SHOWTIME from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
After the loss to Charlo, Lubin(22-1, 16 KOs) switched trainers and is with Kevin Cunningham. Currently, Lubin is on a four-fight win streak, and he believes a win over Gausha will open up more doors for him.
“These are great fights to get me ready for another title shot,” Lubin said via Zoom call on Thursday. “Fighting for a title at such a young age did a lot for my game. It helped me get to that next level. This next go around for the title will definitely be different. I feel like I’m at my best right now.
“I’m fighting for that mandatory spot for the winner of Jermell Charlo vs. Jeison Rosario, and I’m looking forward to getting in the ring to fight one of those guys. “I’m excited to fight for not just one strap, but all three. I’m not just chasing Jermell Charlo. I’m chasing those titles. If he wins, so be it. I want those belts.”
Gausha(21-1-1, 10 KOs), a 2012 Olympian, only has one blemish on his record after losing to Erislandy Lara in 2017, and according to Lubin, he can handle anything Gausha has to offer.
“I had a tremendous training camp once again,” Lubin said. “Saturday night, I’m looking to go out there, look my best and come out with a dominant victory. I’m expecting Terrell to be solid too. But the way I train, I’m going to have an answer for everything that he comes with.
“I remember watching Terrell back in his Olympic days. Now we’re in the pro ranks, though, so it’s a totally different story. He’s a solid fighter, but I feel like I’m on a different level than him. I’m planning on proving that on Saturday night.”
The loss to Charlo was a learning experience for Lubin, which he believes will help him eventually take over the 154-pound division.
“The loss was definitely something to learn from. It was also disappointing because I dared to be great. I learned that experience is a great teacher. I took that from the Charlo fight, brought it with me, and bounced back. I’m still bouncing back in a great way, and I’ll soon take over this division.”
The SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features Mongolia’s Tugstsogt “King Tug” Nyambayar stepping in to face unbeaten Cobia “Soldier” Breedy in the 10-round featherweight co-main event bout. The telecast opener will see one of the top prospects in boxing, unbeaten welterweight Jaron “Boots” Ennis,squaring off against the Dominican Republic’s Juan Carlos Abreu in a 10-round matchup.
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