Tim Tszyu Fights on September 22nd, Erickson Lubin potential Opponent

Tim Tszyu will fight on September 22nd against likely Erickson Lubin in an IBF Junior middleweight title eliminator.

Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) is getting an opportunity to put himself in line for a title shot after losing his WBO 154-lb belt to Sebastian Fundora on March 30th.

Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs) could be a lot of trouble for Tszyu if he fades in the second half like he did against ‘The Towering Inferno’ Fundora in his twelve-round split decision defeat.

Tszyu is set to return on September 22nd in Australia, with this bout looking likely for that date. Tszyu, 29, gets a pass for that loss because his vision was fogged by blood pouring from a bad scalp cut that he sustained early on.

In hindsight, the fight should have been stopped due to the blood that was pouring out of Tszyu’s cut, making it impossible for him to see the punches coming from the tall 6’5 1/2″ Fundora. Tszyu took a lot of needless punishment that he shouldn’t have if his corner had stopped the fight.

Lubin is the ideal opponent for Tszyu in a war that will attract much interest from the boxing public. The only defeats on Lubin’s 11-year resume were to Fundora and Jermell Charlo. Both of those losses were stoppages.

The other possibility for Tszyu to face for the IBF 154-lb title eliminator is Jesus Ramos (21-1, 17 KOs), a fighter Lubin defeated by a twelve-round unanimous decision last year on September 30th. Ramos is only 23-years-old and arguably lacks the experience to fight at the highest levels right now.

Tszyu can’t afford to lose another fight at this point in his career if he wants to be in the running for a lucrative fight against Fundora, Errol Spence Jr., or Terence Crawford. Those are all possibilities for Tszyu if he can get the IBF title and use it as bait to get those fights.