Although it’s been years since Keith Thurman openly ignored the perpetual call-outs of a young up-and-coming Errol Spence Jr., the current unified champion at 147 pounds is still holding a grudge.
Still, even with the 32-year-old claiming on countless occasions that he would never share the ring with his longtime rival, he appears to be on the verge of doing so anyways. As previously reported by BoxingScene.com, the two are likely to square off above the welterweight limit. While it’s yet to be revealed if their showdown will take place in the junior middleweight division, Erickson Lubin is hoping that both men will ultimately infiltrate his stomping grounds.
“If they here, that’s good news to me,” said Lubin to BoxingScene.com. “We got more killers in the weight class.”
Both men, now in their early 30s, are coming off relatively meek 2022 schedules. In the case of Thurman, the former unified champion ended yet another long hiatus on the sidelines with a win over Mario Barrios in February. As for Spence, he made the most of his lone appearance of the year, dismantling Yordenis Ugas and stripping him of his WBA welterweight title.
Choosing a winner for Lubin isn’t exactly a simple task. Considering that both he and Thurman grew up around each other in Florida, Lubin admits that he reveres his contemporary. However, Lubin’s fondness of Thurman won’t distract him from siding with the powerful southpaw from Desoto, Texas.
“Spence,” said Lubin when asked who he believes will pick up the victory. “I think Keith is a great fighter but Spence, I feel like Spence is way more of a dog than Keith Thurman.”
While the rest of the world awaits the final word on the exact weight of Spence’s clash against Thurman, Lubin begins to experience a moment of nostalgia. Roughly a decade ago, as a seasoned and dominant amateur, Lubin established himself as one of the bright stars. Before closing the chapter on his amateur career and embarking on his professional journey, Lubin racked up a record consisting of 143 wins against just seven losses. Similarly, Spence also bullied the competition, putting together an amateur record of 135-12.
With the pair turning pro just one year apart, Lubin reveals that amongst his amateur peers, those around him always wanted to see them square off. Although their showdown never took place in the unpaid ranks, with Spence seemingly moving up in weight, Lubin would love to settle their dormant rivalry once and for all.
“I definitely want to fight someone like Spence. I started my pro career at 47. Spence was the guy coming out of the amateurs at 147. Everybody was high on him, just like they were high on me as well. They always talked about me and him fighting. I think it’s a great fight. We’re both southpaws. We gonna see who’s the better southpaw.”