Tag Archives: Erickson Lubin

Vergil Ortiz Jr. to Fight Erickson Lubin in Defense of His WBC Interim Junior Middleweight Title

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Vergil Ortiz Jr. is going on the defensive…

The 27-year-old Mexican American boxer (23-0, 21 KOs) will return to the ring on November 8 when he faces Erickson Lubin in defense of his WBC interim junior middleweight title at Dickies Center in Fort Worth, TX, Golden Boy Promotions announced Thursday.

Vergil Ortiz Jr.The fight will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN.

It’ll be a home game for the hard-hitting Ortiz, who is coming off of an impressive decision win over in February.

“I’m always happy to be a part of the fights that fans want to see,” said Ortiz in a statement.

However, it may not have been the fight Ortiz originally wanted.

Ortiz had been targeting a fight with WBO champion Xander Zayas and the two exchanged barbs over social media. An offer was made to Zayas promoter, Top Rank, with a deadline of last Friday to accept. The two sides were unable to come to an agreement and Ortiz’s management quickly moved to secure a fight with Lubin.

There were also rumors that a fight between Ortiz and Jaron “Boots” Ennis would take place in 2026. ESPN reached out to Ortiz’s representation, who denied that any agreement was in place for that fight to happen.

“Golden Boy literally tried every single major opponent out there for us and no one would fight Vergil,” said Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigan, to ESPN. “Even His Excellency (Turki Alalshikh) tried by offering ‘Boots’ life changing money and he said no for a tune up fight. Vergil Ortiz is the most feared man in boxing. Credit to Lubin for doing what no one else would.”

Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs) is currently the IBF No. 1 ranked fighter at junior middleweight. He has won three consecutive fights after losing a barnburner against current WBC champion Sebastian Fundora in April 2022. Lubin, 29, has wins over Jeison Rosario and Jesus Ramos, with his only other loss coming against Jermell Charlo in a WBC junior middleweight title fight in 2017, which resulted in a devastating first-round knockout.

Lubin will look to pull off the upset and earn the biggest win of his career as he continues his pursuit to become a world champion.

“This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, said Lubin. “This fight is about redemption; I’m back for everything.”

Sebastian Fundora Defeats Erickson Lubin to Claim Interim Junior Middleweight Title

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Sebastian Fundora is celebrating a big win…

The 24-year-old Cuban American professional boxer, known as “The Towering Inferno,” outlasted Erickson Lubin to claim the interim junior middleweight.

Sebastian Fundora

Fundora had dazzled with his height to earn the No. 5 spot in ESPN’s ranking, but he had never been truly tested before the fight Saturday against Lubin in Las Vegas.

In a fierce clash that saw both boxers hit the canvas, Fundora prevailed when Lubin’s trainer, Kevin Cunningham, stopped the bout after Round 9 due to Lubin’s grotesquely swollen face.

The damage accumulated over nine rounds in a fight that kicked into high gear after Fundora (19-0-1, 13 KOs) floored Lubin with a right hand in the closing seconds of Round 2.

Lubin (24-2, 17 KOs) rallied to score a knockdown of Fundora with a flurry of punches in the waning moments of Round 7 and was ahead on two scorecards 85-84 when the fight was stopped (the other score was 85-85).

“I got hit with a good punch and I didn’t feel like I needed to get hit again so I took a knee to get a little breather in and I recovered,” Fundora said.

“I think this was probably my best performance ever. It was a back-and-forth fight. … The uppercut was landing like no other. It lands most of the time with everybody. Southpaw. Right hand. It doesn’t matter. Once I find that, I feel like the job’s done.”

With the victory, Fundora expects a future shot at the WBC title currently held by Jermell Charlo, who meets Brian Castano in a rematch for the undisputed championship on May 14. All of the fighters are aligned with Premier Boxing Champions, making that fight easy to make.

“I see Charlo winning the fight against Castano,” said Fundora, who defeated Sergio Garcia via decision in December. “I feel like he’ll be too strong for Castano the second time.”

Lubin was just 21 when he challenged Charlo for the WBC title in 2017, a fight he lost via first-round knockout. He rebounded with wins over Ishe Smith, Terrell Gausha and, most recently, a sixth-round KO of former unified champion Jeison Rosario in June.

The 26-year-old from Orlando, Florida, was rated No. 4 by ESPN at 154 pounds and figures to land another meaningful fight in the near future.

“I think it was a good decision for Kevin Cunningham to stop the fight,” Fundora said. “[Lubin’s] face shifted from Round 1 to Round 9. It completely morphed, and there was a lot of blood coming out.

“He’s a tough fighter. He was in the game the whole time, but there’s no need to get hurt that much.”

Fundora, meanwhile, will wait to see who emerges between Charlo and Castano.