An intriguing matchup in the talent-deep junior middleweight division takes place on Saturday in Las Vegas where the winner might have the strongest case for the next shot at the undisputed championship.
Top contender Erickson Lubin (24-1, 17 KOs) puts his six-fight win streak at stake against 6-foot-6 brawler Sebastian Fundora (18-0-1, 12 KOs) in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions card from inside Virgin Hotels (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET). The 12-round bout will be contested for the interim WBC title and a mandatory shot at the winner of the May 14 undisputed rematch between Jermell Charlo and Brian Castaño.
Even though unbeaten Tim Tszyu also secured a mandatory shot at Castaño's WBO title with his March victory over Terrell Gausha, the 26-year-old Lubin has been vocal about his hope of getting his own rematch with Charlo, who knocked him out spectacularly in Round 1 of their 2017 title bout.
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"This is a career-defining moment for me, and a chance for me to rewrite history after my first world title fight," Lubin said. "I want to be a world champion and to do that, I must sacrifice some of my comforts. My trainer Kevin Cunningham has also made some major additions to my training regimen and the hard work will be on display when I step in the ring.
"I think [Fundora] is a very tough challenge for anybody in the division. He comes to fight and is always in tremendous shape. Fundora is tall and rangy but likes to fight in close quarters, which should make for a fan friendly and exciting fight."
The 24-year-old Fundora, a fellow southpaw, is fresh off a close decision win over Sergio Garcia in December. The all-action big man, who fights out of southern California, has long been an attraction because of his slight build and extensive height and reach (80 inches) for the division.
"I learned against Garcia that I'm in great condition and that I can go into deep waters," Fundora said. "I feel like I've improved a lot during this camp. It's really everything -- my boxing, my strength, my running and my overall conditioning is at a higher level. Everything is just peaking for me heading into this fight.
"Fans can expect me to bring action against Erickson Lubin. 'The Towering Inferno' is bringing the fire on fight night."
The rest of the televised undercard fills out with more action at 154 pounds. Former unified champion Tony Harrison is back when he takes on rising contender Sergio Garcia. Harrison shockingly beat Jermell Charlo in 2018 to claim the trio of titles, but was stopped in the rematch in 2019. He then fought to a draw with Bryant Perrella in his return in 2021. Garcia, meanwhile, is coming off his first professional loss to Fundora in December, though the result was very disputed.
"This is a great card all the way through with all of us at the same weight. We can all gauge each other. I'm definitely going to be watching Fundora and Lubin. We're all competitive and the best man is going to win throughout the night," Harrison said at the final press conference.
"For me, Perrella was a fight that I probably took a little soon after losing my father and trainer Ali Salaam. I think I rushed into it a little too fast and he took the opportunity coming in weight and came in strong. Everything was working in his favor. I thought I pulled it out but it was a close fight."
Perrella, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back in his own fight on the undercard when he takes on Kevin Salgado.
"I'm very thankful to be here and it's a pleasure to be part of this event and to be on this platform. The Tony Harrison fight was amazing. It was a great experience for me. I learned so much and have evolved into a whole new fighter since that fight and because of that fight," Perrella said at the final press conference.
"I'm a very difficult person to be in the ring with and I'm looking to show that on Saturday night. I don't shy away from challenges. Losses don't get to me, they just make me hungrier to come back even stronger. I'm a force to be reckoned with and I'm going to keep showing it."
Let's check out the rest of the fight card before getting to a prediction and pick for the main event. Odds below are via Caesars Sportsbook.
Fight card, odds
- Erickson Lubin -150 vs. Sebastian Fundora +125, junior middleweights
- Sergio Garcia -230 vs. Tony Harrison +190, junior middleweights
- Bryant Perrella -300 vs. Kevin Salgado +240, junior middleweights
Prediction
Despite his unbeaten record, Fundora simply hasn't faced the same level of competition as Lubin. Even worse, two of his biggest wins were deemed disputed at best after he fought Jamontay Clark to a 2019 draw before edging the unbeaten Garcia last December.
The lone suspect part of Lubin's well-rounded game remains his chin, which is a topic that resurfaced in his toe-to-toe war with Jeison Rosario last June. Lubin will need rely on his boxing skills in order to get past Fundora and there's enough disparity between them in terms of craft for this to be the most realistic outcome. At least on paper.
The potential problem for Lubin is Fundora's size and reach, which means Lubin will need to get inside to have success. If Fundora can lure Lubin into a firefight at close range, which he tends to do with most of his opponents, the danger quotient increases exponentially for Lubin.
Given the stakes, however, Lubin will need to rely on his footwork and has little room for error. If Fundora gets off early and can execute on his own terms, Lubin may need to stop the giant in order to get past him. Fundora simply doesn't know any other direction but straight ahead.
Pick: Lubin via KO7
