Tim Bradley wants Erickson Lubin to retire or move as much as 160 after he was “obliterated” in two rounds last Saturday night by WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. on the Dickies Arena in Fort Price, Texas. Tim says Lubin looked like he was hit with a “nuke” by Vergil Jr. with the way in which he crumbled within the second round.
Chin Gone, Future Gone
The previous world champion Bradley notes that this was the third time the 30-year-old Lubin (27-3, 19 KOs) has been viciously stopped within the last eight years, since 2017. What was different about this loss was that it got here against a fighter, Ortiz Jr. (24-0, 22 KOs), who isn’t a giant puncher. He’s someone who scores his knockouts by volume, like an even bigger version of William Zepeda.
Lubin’s punch resistance looked gone within the fight. He posted up against the ropes and let the 27-year-old Ortiz shell away at him with eight unanswered punches in round two, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight.
“Lubin, you have to go ahead and hang them up, man. If you wish to keep making that bread in your family, you retain doing what you’re doing,” said podcaster Tim Bradley on his channel, reacting to Erickson Lubin’s second-round TKO loss to Vergil Ortiz Jr. last Saturday night.
Stuck on the Ropes Again
It could help if Erickson didn’t decide to fight together with his back against the ropes. That’s what he did within the ninth-round stoppage loss to Sebastian Fundora on April 9, 2022, and again last night against Ortiz Jr.. Still, even when he selected to remain in the middle of the ring, it’s questionable whether he’s got the punch resistance to compete against contenders at 154. Again, Vergil Jr. isn’t the largest puncher, yet he made easy work of Erickson.
“Hit With a Nuke” Moment
“You’ve been knocked out thrice like that. You’re getting destroyed. You’re getting obliterated. It was such as you got hit with a nuke last night. I mean, Ortiz ain’t even be hitting like that. It’s worthwhile to cough it up or go to 160, bro. Do something different. You’re done at 154,” said Bradley.
Moving as much as 160 won’t be a picnic either for Erickson, because the fighters in that division have just as much power as they do at 154. If Lubin can’t withstand the shots from Vergil Jr., he’s not going to handle getting hit by middleweights Yoenli Hernandez, Janibek Alimkhnuly, and Carlos Adames.
Retirement is likely to be one of the best option for Lubin unless he desires to stick it out until the bitter end and be content with working as a trial horse for the younger contenders to make use of to construct their hype.
Last Updated on 11/09/2025