No Limits Boxing announced yesterday that former super welterweight champion Tim Tszyu will return to the ring in a September 22nd IBF eliminator. Shortly thereafter, the sanctioning body formally ordered him to face Erickson Lubin.
Tszyu (24-1, 17 KO) accepted a short-notice fight with Sebastian Fundora in March after Keith Thurman predictably went down to injury, but his boldness backfired when a stray elbow opened him up in the second rind and left him struggling to fight through a gruesome amount of blood. Tszyu ultimately lost a split decision and was forced out of a lucrative August showdown with Vergil Ortiz Jr, leaving him eager to squeeze both this eliminator and a subsequent shot at Bakhram Murtazaliev into the next five months.
No Limit CEO George Rose claims Lubin (26-2, 18 KO), who withdrew from a potential title bout with Tszyu this past January, “still needs convincing to travel to Australia.” “The Hammer” hasn’t seen action since taking a highly questionable decision over Jesus Ramos last September in his second fight since getting mauled by the aforementioned Fundora.
Lubin is no. 3 with the IBF and Tszyu no. 4 behind empty slots at no. 1 and no. 2. Josh Kelly, Ramos, Xander Zayas, Callum Walsh, and Slawa Sporner are next in line should Lubin decline.