America’s Erickson Lubin has revealed he was already signed to fight Tim Tszyu in Australia this December — but has now questioned if the Sydneysider will ever return to big time boxing Stateside.

One of the biggest names in the super welterweight division, Lubin has told Fox Sports Australia he was “disappointed” after watching his own world title headliner destroyed in Orlando, Florida on Saturday night.

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Lubin also questioned whether Tszyu would recover from the beating that was being dropped four times in three rounds by undefeated champ Bakhram Murtazaliev — with his corner eventually throwing in the towel.

Elsewhere, fellow boxing star Caleb Plant said he was confident Tszyu would be back while Murtazaliev also labelled his rival a “real man”.

For Lubin, it seemed there was every chance the Florida native was going to ramp up the impending showdown Tszyu showdown had he become a world champion again — given he was sat ringside in a VIP section including names like Antonio Tarver and Plant.

Instead, the Florida native was forced to watch on as 29-year-old Tszyu suffered a brutal stoppage loss in his IBF championship bout against Murtazaliev.

Taking to X afterwards however, Plant retweeted Main Event’s video of Tszyu speaking with media backstage, writing: “Good man. No excuses. Real good fighter. Rest up, regroup and we’ll see you again soon @Tim_Tszyu is great for the sport and even better guy.”

Lubin, meanwhile, revealed he was in the building because he had already agreed to fight Tszyu at a yet-to-be-determined Australian location December.

“It was signed,” he said of what would have been an IBF world title headliner.

“I’d already signed but it looks like I’ll have to make different plans now.”

Asked his thoughts on the fight, the division contended continued: “I think Tim Tszyu is too tough for his own good.

“He’ll get up every time and keep fighting.

“But I also feel like Tim hasn’t really beaten anybody.

“So tonight he got, not exposed … but he fought a champion and we saw (what happened).”

Seated up close to the action, Lubin admitted genuine surprise to seeing Tszyu being knocked down three times in the second round of his IBF title fight.

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He was then assessed by a ringside doctor before the third, and soon after knocked down for a fourth time.

Soon after his corner threw in the towel

So as for Tszyu’s chances of returning to this level?

“Dunno,” Lubin shrugged afterwards.

“Tim got dropped four times so there might be some wear and tear there.

“It looked like he might have been in some trouble with that Fundora cut too.

“So Tim might be a bit damaged, we’ll have to see how he comes back from all of that.”

Quizzed on how easily Tszyu was hit, Lubin continued: “I was surprised.

“After that Fundora fight, I thought Tim was a tough dude.

“Thought you could hit him with the kitchen sink and he’d keep going.

“But he just got dropped too many times.

“Had his corner not called it, he would’ve got up and kept going.”

Lubin said with the Australian headliner against Tszyu now gone, he could potentially turn his attention to the winner of Sebastian Fundora and Errol Spence.

He also revealed undefeated US prospect Vergil Ortiz Jnr was “on the table”.

Elsewhere, Murtazaliev also praised the heart shown by Tszyu on the most difficult night of his career.

Asked about the way the Aussie kept coming, the champ said: “Maybe he didn’t recover well, so he didn’t really quite understand what he was doing.

“But he was so brave out there – fighting almost four rounds and the referee gave him so many opportunities to fight – and after four rounds he fought so brave, and I give him a lot of respect.

“He’s a real man.”

Murtazaliev also confirmed that, despite some harsh words during the build up, there was no animosity afterwards.

“At the end of the day this is just a sport, and I had nothing personal against him,” he said.

“Before the fight, I guess he was promoting and he was saying some stuff that was kind of bothering me, even though I didn’t give him any reason for that.

“But after the fight we just shook hands and had peace with each other.

“He congratulated me and said, ‘Thank you for the fight’.”

Asked if he had expected such a swift finish he co tinier: “We didn’t plan anything.

“If it had ended in the first round, in the third round… I did not expect anything.

“I was ready to go all 12 rounds.

“It was not that hard, because it ended so early (and) I didn’t get hit too much.

“But I was ready for 12 rounds.”