Highlighting the best
of the week’s stories
WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET8 lBOXING NEWSlJULY 25, 2019 http://www.boxingnewsonline.netNEWS AND OPINION
Campbell must
refuse to be
Lomachenko’s
latest
plaything,
writes
Elliot Worsell
E know reality and
fantasy are very
different things, but
Luke Campbell
will be forgiven
for ignoring the
difference as he
celebrates securing home advantage for
his second world title shot.
The fantasy: On August 31, at London’s
O2 Arena, Campbell will get a shot at
the WBA, WBO and vacant WBC world
lightweight titles, having strung together
three straight wins, including a revenge
victory over Yvan Mendy, since losing to
Jorge Linares in 2017.
It is a shot he probably deserves; one
he has patiently waited for. Not only
that, at 31 years of age, he is seasoned
and mature now, prepared for it in a way
he perhaps wasn’t when boxing Linares
for the WBA version two years ago. He
has learned from setbacks. He has been
buoyed by successes.
In fact, six years into his pro career,
Campbell has never been better and the
timing of his world title shot could not
be any better. Best of all, the shot arrives
in England, at home, meaning he won’t
have to travel the way he did in 2017.
More than one reason to celebrate, then.
But now for the reality: Campbell,
if he is to become world lightweight
champion on August 31, must somehow
defeat Vasyl Lomachenko, arguably the
finest boxer in the sport and someone
opponents fight while aware of the
probable outcome and therefore find
themselves more concerned with nailing
the right time to ask the Ukrainian wizard
for a post-fight selfie.
Superior to his peers in every way,
Lomachenko ruins dreams before they
even get going and has challengers
feeling as if a title shot is not so much
a reward as punishment. Campbell
knows this. He has eyes. Not eyes like
Lomachenko but eyes all the same.Yet, despite all this, the Hull man will
tell himself he can do it. He will convince
himself he is different to the rest and that
the stars have aligned, and he will read
from the same well-thumbed script as all
the others.
Just like this.
“The best fighting the best, this is going
to make one hell of a fight,” he said in a
Matchroom Boxing press release. “I am
in this sport to be the best, to become
a world champion. This is what I train
and work so hard for, to become a world
champion and fulfil my potential.
“He [Lomachenko] is ranked number
one pound-for-pound on the planet
so for me to fight a guy like that only
encourages me to be the best I can be,
and it is exactly the level I want to be at.
“I’m well aware of how good he is and
what he is capable of doing but I’m alsoW
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