Erickson Lubin outpoints Terrell Gausha in so-so effort
Erickson Lubin got a victory against Terrell Gausha on Saturday night in Uncasville, Conn., which is the overriding objective of boxing. But did he make the statement he hoped to make? Probably not.
Lubin defeated Gausha by a unanimous decision in the junior middleweight title eliminator, thus putting himself in position to challenge the winner of the title-unification fight between Jermell Charlo and Jeison Rosario next week.
The 24-year-old from Orlando just didn’t look particularly good in the process.
Lubin (23-1, 16 KOs) did just enough to win the majority of the first seven rounds, which isn’t saying much because Gausha (21-2-1, 10 KOs) was curiously inactive.
They both picked up the pace beginning in Round 8 to pump some life into the fight and create a little drama. The most-dramatic moment might’ve come late in Round 10, with Gausha wobbled Lubin with a right hand but Lubin survived and went on to sting Gausha late in the final round.
Otherwise, the fight was forgettable.
The final scores were 115-113, 116-112 and 118-110, all in favor of Lubin. Boxing Junkie had it 117-111 for Lubin.
Lubin has now won five consecutive fights since he was stopped in one round by Charlo in October 2017. And, in his opinion, he did make a statement against Gausha.
“I’d give myself a B- tonight,” he said. “I think the layoff had a little to do with it, but Gausha is a top competitor. He’s at the top of the weight class for a reason. I just want to stay active and get my title shot.
“… I definitely made a statement. I beat one of the top guys in the division, and that’s always a statement. I feel like I beat one of the top 154-pounders, and I’m going to keep doing that. I’m going to stay in the gym and keep getting better.”
Lubin is confident he’ll do well if he gets his title shot.
“I think Jermell Charlo is going to come out on top against Jeison Rosario,” he said. “I’m ready for a rematch if he can take care of business like I did. I changed up a lot since the first fight. I have a master trainer in my corner in Kevin Cunningham, along with my longtime trainer Jason Galarza.
“I’m just all around a better fighter since the first time we fought.”
Gausha, a former U.S. Olympian, is in a difficult position. The 33-year-old is now 1-1-2 in last four fights, with losses against Erislandy Lara and now Lubin. The Gausha of the first seven rounds on Saturday would be no threat to any top 154-pounder. The Gausha of the last five … maybe.
“I take my hat off to Erickson Lubin, he was the better man tonight,” Gausha said. “I bit down and showed true grit, and I have nothing to hang my head for. We both are highly skilled fighters, and we had respect for each other’s game. We were both being cautious and we knew we couldn’t get hit by each other.
“I know I hurt him in the 10th round, but he was able to recover. I was trying to step on the gas and finish him off but he was the better man tonight. I have to give him credit. He was fast, and I was trying to counter him. I make no excuses. We just have to get better.”