THERE is an aura about Vasyl Lomachenko. He trains like nobody else, he fights like nobody else and nobody, youโd think, can beat him right now. But Hullโs Luke Campbell isnโt going to let himself get swept up in the mystery. โWeโre here now and this is whatโs happening,โ the Yorkshireman says simply. โThe story will be better at the end of it.โ
โIt just feels like Iโm getting ready for another fight. Thatโs exactly what it is. Itโs just another fight,โ he continued. โIโve always been one of those people regardless of who I fight, whether itโs a big fight, a small fight, I always feel the same. Even if Iโm fighting a little fight or whatever I always feel the same feelings, emotions, nerves, whether it be that or a big fight. To be fair Iโm more excited for the big fight. The experience from the Olympics taught me a lot. The big crowds there, Iโve always thrived off that. For me Iโm more in my comfort zone the bigger it is.
โThatโs what everybody dreams of, being involved in huge fights like this and fighting the best.โ
Even when it comes to praising Lomachenko, Campbell is about the only person who manages to make it sound matter of fact. โHeโs number one for who heโs beat,โ he states. โHeโs not there for his style, heโs there for who heโs beat and heโs a three-weight world champion.โ
But regardless of Lomachenkoโs mystique, Campbell sounds a note of ferocity. He has a vicious edge when he insists he can get to and he can hurt the great man. Heโs been alongside the Ukrainian at press conferences and face-offs ahead of this fight. โI just think in the back of my mind Iโm going to hit you hard, Iโm going to hit you hard. Iโm going to hurt you,โ he notes.
Perhaps Luke is unawed because heโs been boxing along with the Ukrainian for years. Lomachenko is rightly celebrated not only for his professional exploits but also for being a two-time, two-weight, sensational Olympic gold medallist. But Campbell is not short of his own amateur credentials, one of the best in fact that the UK has produced. His career has followed an intriguing parallel path to Lomachenkoโs, leapfrogging one anotherโs weight divisions but not boxing each other until now in a professional title unification. The first time Luke saw the Ukrainian was in Saratov, Russia, 15 years ago at the European Cadet championships. Luke was only 50 kilos and, after first outpointing the Ukrainian in his division, ultimately took a bronze medal. Lomachenko was competing down at 46kgs. He won naturally of course.
โAll the way back then, he was a different weight from me back then, but very cool, very skilful, always has been,โ Campbell remembered.
In 2008 both were in Liverpool boxing in the European championships. By now Campbell was in the division below. Luke won at 54kgs, becoming the first Englishman to win a European gold medal since 1961, while Lomachenko was, of course, victorious at featherweight. Both boxed in the 2011 World championships. Campbell was held to a silver medal, Lomachenko won gold. Both triumphed at the London Olympic Games in 2012, the Briton at 56kgs, Lomachenko at lightweight. Itโs taken until 2019 but on Saturday (August 31), they will fight at the O2 Arena in London, for Lomachenkoโs WBA and WBO titles and the vacant WBC championship belt.
โIโve always thought about it and Iโve got it,โ Campbell said. โI see certain things. Weโre preparing for me to be the best I can be on that night. Weโre not preparing for Lomachenko pivoting off to the left or Lomachenko pivoting off to the right or attacking. Weโre preparing for everything and for me to be the best I can be. Heโs ranked number one pound-for-pound for a reason. I think heโs the very best out there at the minute. Itโs exactly where I want to be. I want to go in there and fight the best and stamp my authority.โ
โEverybodyโs going to be an underdog against him,โ he continued. โBut Iโve always been underestimated, the whole of my career, from the day I started boxing. It doesnโt bother me that. Iโm just excited now to go out there and show everybody what Iโm capable of doing and how good I am. Iโm fighting the best and I believe Iโm one of the best, if not the best.โ
For most observers Campbell is attempting the impossible, so formidable has Lomachenko appeared to be in recent years. But the Englishman is adamant that he is the man to do it. โThere is no blueprint out there for him. Iโm going to beat him by being me. Heโs fighting me,โ he said. โI can see that a lot of his opponents were already in disbelief that theyโre going to win. Thatโll give him an advantage he didnโt really need. I believe a lot of his opponents will go in there not believing. But Iโm not.โ
However, their professional records so far suggest that Campbell has been operating at a level below. They have a mutual opponent. Lomachenko stopped Jorge Linares to win his first lightweight world title in May, 2018. Campbell had lost a split decision to Linares in California eight months before. But Luke is now in a very different place, in his mind and in his training.
When Campbell lost that, his first world title fight, he had been training in isolation with Jorge Rubio in Miami. In the week of his fight with Linares, Luke was mourning the death of his father. Two years on from that dark episode, the Yorkshireman has established a new camp with trainer Shane McGuigan. Their partnership has been successful, with Luke avenging a previous loss in beating Yvan Mendy and then knocking out Adrian Yung in Philadelphia.
โThereโs a lot different. Iโm happy. Iโm in a very good place. Iโve had a great training camp. Iโve got Shane in my corner,โ Campbell said. โIโm settled. I feel like Iโve finally got a solid team around me for the first time in my professional career. Iโm happy in the gym and Iโm happy I get to go home every weekend and see my family too,โ he continued. โI feel like Iโm in a great place, physically, mentally, in the gym, training, everything. I feel like now Iโm coming into my best. I feel like these next couple of years Iโm really going to be in my zone and I feel like I can go out there and beat anyone.โ
‘Iโve always thrived off that. For me Iโm more in my comfort zone the bigger it is’
He can see the fight โ โprobably a bit of everything. A bit of a chess game. A bit of a tear up. A bit of everything really. I think thatโs why this fight is so exciting because I feel like we can bring everything to the tableโ โ and he has a vision for the outcome. โI just see myself as the champion. Beating everybodyโs pound-for-pound king. I see the way people will react to me after beating him,โ he says. โItโs certainly all my dream come true as well. Winning a world title, three belts in one go and also beating the guy thatโs ranked number one pound-for-pound. Certainly I can tick a few boxes there on my bucket list.โ
When he puts it like that, it sounds almost simple.