ERICKSON Lubin has put himself back in the shop window after halting Ardreal Holmes Jr, a previously unbeaten but largely unproven super-welterweight operator, with a ruthless 11th-round finish.
The pair squared off at the Silver Spurs Arena, Florida, headlining a ProBox TV card in the small hours of this morning.
While their clash was previously billed as a 50/50 matchup, former world title challenger Lubin, 27-2 (19 KOs), ultimately made sure to revive his career in emphatic fashion following a near 20-month layoff.
With his stoppage victory over Holmes, 17-1 (6 KOs), representing an eliminator of sorts, too, the 29-year-old could now potentially worm his way into a mandatory position for Bakhram Murtazaliev’s IBF title.
Meanwhile, the fight delivered an uneventful opening round, as while Lubin pumped out his right jab, Holmes too looked to put his southpaw stance to good use.
Instead of delivering a crushing straight left behind each lead hand, the spindly technician appeared to take a more safety-first approach to the pair’s early exchanges.
Sure enough, Holmes continued to poke out his long jab and coast on the backfoot, while Lubin pressed the action – controlling the centre of the ring – with his greater aggression and combination punching.
Each of the first three rounds told a similar story, but then, in the following three minutes, Lubin’s creativity in attack began to have a more punishing effect.
A willingness to take risks, too, saw him fly out the traps in a blistering start to the fourth frame, moments before sending a sharp left hand over the top of Holmes’ guard.
At which point, Lubin had seemingly lost all respect for the shots firing in his direction, with Holmes’ range of attacks remaining far from potent.
The Michigan man just simply continued to poke out his loose jab, presenting his vastly more seasoned opponent with very little resistance in the process.
And while Lubin eased his foot off the gas during the middle rounds, he at no point lost control over the fight but, instead, continued to dictate proceedings with his front foot pressure.
The eighth frame then saw ‘The Hammer’ utilise his sharper footwork and, at the same time, break through Holmes’ problematic guard with several promising combinations.
Indeed, Lubin hurt his opponent multiple times in the following six minutes, before finally scoring his first knockdown with a thudding flurry in the 11th round.
Holmes, quite remarkably, scrambled back to his feet soon after, though referee Chris Young ultimately drew an appropriate halt moments later.
