Luke Campbell: ‘I could be sitting here a world champion’

Luke Campbell

The six-rounder against Troy James [on the Bellew-Haye undercard] is to prepare for a more significant fight in the summer?

Itโ€™s part of a bigger picture. Itโ€™s about me getting out there and fighting. Itโ€™s been a while.

Are you expecting it to be Yvan Mendy next, in a WBC final eliminator?

Iโ€™m hoping itโ€™s Mendy. Thatโ€™s the fight I want. I want Mendy.

I shouldnโ€™t have got in the ring that night [when they fought in 2015], for a fact, but regardless I did and I let people see a very weak version of myself. But Iโ€™m just thinking now all round, in everything, Iโ€™m better, Iโ€™m more confident. Iโ€™m bigger, Iโ€™m stronger. Iโ€™m technically better. Iโ€™m better in every way, shape and form. But Iโ€™m never one to talk. I always like my actions to speak louder than my words. So when we have a chat after the fight and I beat him, then weโ€™ll see the difference.

And itโ€™s a chance to remind people how good you are?

I believe Iโ€™m one of the best in the lightweight division in the worldโ€ฆ But at the moment thereโ€™s only one fight thatโ€™s saying that, thereโ€™s only fight Iโ€™ve had thatโ€™s actually putting me in there. Youโ€™re going to see a lot more of me and youโ€™re going to see a lot better of me. Iโ€™m excited. Iโ€™m really confident in myself and believe Iโ€™ve got a great career ahead. Iโ€™ve never had it easy in boxing, from the start Iโ€™ve never had it easy in boxing. Iโ€™ve never had the easy route. And Iโ€™ve never asked for the easy route. I was always say to be the best, youโ€™ve got to beat the best. So far itโ€™s what Iโ€™ve been on a mission to do. I was very unlucky against [Jorge] Linares. I could easily be sat here now WBA world lightweight champion. But they gave it to him on a split decision, I though I nicked it by a couple of rounds. But at the end of the day Iโ€™m in the championโ€™s back garden, on his turf, I needed to do a little bit more.

I still believe I should have won seven rounds out of the 12โ€ฆ Iโ€™m moving forward and I will prove myself to be a world champion.

Do you think Mikey Garcia will vacate the WBC lightweight title?

All I know is he hasnโ€™t fought for the title in 15 months, which is crazy. The last two fights heโ€™s boxed at 140lbs. But apparently heโ€™s coming back down and heโ€™s fighting at 135lbs now. Which you donโ€™t really get fighters that go up and come back down. But heโ€™s one of the best out there pound-for-pound.

So it could go Mendy, then Garcia for the title?

Yeah, if heโ€™s thereโ€ฆ He seems to be messing around the weights. Heโ€™s even talked about fighting at welterweight, so itโ€™s a bit confusing really, what his plans are.

luke campbell

Do you think that means thereโ€™s a chance you could fight Mendy for the vacant belt?

Iโ€™m hoping so. For me that would be the number one thing to happen. For me thatโ€™s what Iโ€™d love. Mendy certainly is a world title fight, weโ€™re both one and two in the WBC [rankings]. Thereโ€™s history there and I certainly think me and him is a big fight. Our styles clash very well, itโ€™s going to make a great fight, an exciting fight.

Finally, how do you see Vasyl Lomachenko versus Linares going?

A lot of people forget that Lomachenko was a lightweight as an amateur, so heโ€™s naturally a lightweight anyhow as an amateur. I was a bantamweight as an amateur. So the weight issue I believe is no problem whatsoever. I believe he outboxes Linares over the 12 rounds. (I thought I outboxed Linares over the 12 rounds). So I believe Lomachenko, his movement and boxing ability, I think Iโ€™ll outbox Linares over 12. The thing is Linares is a big force. Iโ€™m not disrespecting Linares one bit. Heโ€™s a big force, his power speed skill. You never know whatโ€™s going to happen. I believe Linares is Lomachenkoโ€™s biggest test for sure.

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