Erickson Lubin Stops Zakaria Attou, Wins WBC Junior Middleweight Title Eliminator

Erickson Lubin’s journey back to the top of the junior middleweight contender’s list has him back in the position where he was a couple of years ago: on the doorstep of a WBC title opportunity.

On the June 29 Showtime undercard from Houston, Lubin stopped Zakaria Attou in the fourth round to win a WBC title eliminator. Attou’s corner threw in the towel after Attou was knocked down.

Lubin’s left hand consistently found its target in Attou’s head throughout the fight, forcing Attou to go back and retreat to the ropes and corners at times. Lubin nearly scored a knockdown in the third, but was able to do so about a minute into the fourth. Lubin pressured Attou into the corner, landing a barrage of punches and dropping him to the canvas. Although Attou did get back up, his corner decided that it would be in the fighter’s best interest to throw in the towel and call it a fight. 

This was Lubin’s third consecutive win, all by knockout, ever since he suffered his first pro loss back in 2017. That loss was a first-round knockout loss to Jermell Charlo with the WBC junior middleweight title on the line and an opportunity for Lubin, a 21-year-old when he lost to Charlo, to become one of boxing’s youngest world champions. Afterwards, Lubin bounced back with wins against Silverio Ortiz, Ishe Smith and now Attou with all of them ending in four rounds or less.

Now Lubin is in line for a future opportunity to fight for the WBC title currently being held by Tony Harrison. That title shot will likely not happen this year as Harrison is currently injured and likely headed for a rematch against Charlo once he is fully healthy. The two were supposed to have a title fight on June 23, but less than three weeks before the fight, it was announced that Harrison suffered torn ligaments in his right ankle as well as an inner and outer ankle sprain, leaving him unable to train for 10 weeks.