Tim Tszyu Seeks New Opponent For Sept. 22 IBF Title Eliminator In Australia; Lubin Out
A return home is still in store for Tim Tszyu.
However, there still remains work ahead to secure an opponent.
The Ring has learned that representatives for Erickson Lubin have removed the American contender from the IBF title eliminator process. Tszyu and Lubin were previously ordered to enter talks but a purse bid was scheduled when the two sides reached an impasse.
That session is no longer in play. The IBF received confirmation that Lubin is not medically fit to move forward within the IBF deadline.
Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) currently has a Sept. 22 date reserved for his next fight. A venue or even hosting city in Australia were yet confirmed for where The Ring’s No. 2-rated junior middleweight will fight.
Fight Freaks Unite’s Dan Rafael was the first to report the development.
Per IBF rules, Tszyu will now have to enter talks with the next highest ranked available contender. England’s Josh Kelly (15-1-1, 8 KOs) is ranked one spot below Lubin but already committed to a fight, in fact on that very weekend. The 2016 Great Britain Olympian is set to face former titlist Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs), No. 7 at 160, on Sept. 21 in London.
Jesus Ramos (21-1, 17 KOs), The Ring’s No. 6-rated junior middleweight, would be the next in line after that.
Tszyu, Lubin and Ramos are all represented by Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).
Ramos was always the back-up plan in the event that Lubin could not commit to the fight. The 23-year-old contender from Casa Grande, Arizona dropped a disputed decision to Lubin last Sept. 30 in Las Vegas. He since rebounded with a ninth-round knockout of Johan Gonzalez on May 4 in Las Vegas. Both fights took place on the undercard of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez-headlined Pay-Per-View events.
Tszyu has not fought since his gory, twelve-round defeat to Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs), No. 1 at 154, on March 30 in Las Vegas. The defeat ended Tszyu’s perfect record and WBO title reign. Fundora also claimed the vacant WBC middleweight title that evening. Both fighters were physically harmed to the point of having to cancel prior plans made in late spring.
Fundora’s nose was busted in the opening round, while Tszyu suffered a hellacious cut along the center of his scalp. Tszyu’s wound failed to heal in time to receive medical clearance for a planned Aug. 3 fight versus Vergil Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs) in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Fundora had to comply with a medical certification notice to avoid being stripped of his WBO title. He was ordered to next face Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), who next challenges Israil Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) for the WBA and interim WBO title on the Aug. 3 L.A. show.
Tszyu opted for the IBF route when it was learned that Fundora will be steered towards a likely WBC title defense versus Errol Spence Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs). The bout was not yet formally announced but is rumored to take place later this fall.
The winner of the eventual IBF eliminator will become the mandatory challenger to titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs), No. 10 at 154. It was not made clear why Tszyu can’t directly face Murtazaliev, who presently does not have a scheduled title defense.
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