Erickson Lubin will battle Ardreal Holmes for a shot at Bakhram Murtazaliev, potentially within 90 days
IBF super welterweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev’s first mandatory challenger could be decided on ProBox TV, as Jake Donovan reports that the outfit narrowly outbid Salita Promotions $225,000-$220,000 for the rights to stage a final eliminator between Erickson Lubin and Ardreal Holmes.
Lubin (26-2, 18 KO) sits at no. 3 in the IBF rankings despite no fights since a highly questionable decision over Jesus Ramos in September 2023. An attempted eliminator against Tim Tszyu fell through when “The Hammer” suffered a hand injury, leading Tszyu to jump right into an ill-fated clash with Murtazaliev.
Flint’s Holmes (17-0, 6 KO), a ShoBox veteran, is a big boy at 6’2” and boasts a solid track record against middle-of-the-road opposition. That said, Lubin represents a massive step up over the likes of Wendy Toussaint, Hugo Noriega, and Edwine Humaine Junior. It’s a risk, but at 30 years old, he may be due for that sort of risk. Catching Lubin on the heels of injury and inactivity seems like an opportunity worth grasping.
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