By Keith Idec
Shane McGuigan completely understands the unusually difficult nature of Luke Campbell’s assignment Saturday night.
Campbell’s trainer is still convinced Campbell can pull off what would be one of the biggest upsets in British boxing history. Vasiliy Lomachenko is a 16-1 favorite over Campbell, but McGuigan considers his bigger, skillful southpaw the toughest opponent Lomachenko will have faced in 15 professional fights.
Campbell sparred nearly 100 rounds with unbeaten IBF junior welterweight champ Josh Taylor during his recently completed training camp. He also is a much-improved fighter, according to McGuigan, from when he lost a split decision to Jorge Linares in their 12-round lightweight title fight nearly two years ago in Inglewood, California.
“He couldn’t be in a better place,” McGuigan said during a press conference Thursday in London. “It’s gonna always be hard to prepare for a guy as unique as Vasiliy Lomachenko. But I believe this is Lomachenko’s hardest fight. You know, we’re coming off the best form. He’s huge for the weight. He could move up to 140. He has that big of a frame. … He’s punching extremely hard and I believe he’s at the peak of his career right now, Luke is. He’s not the same guy he was when he boxed Jorge Linares. He’s improved. He’s learned from his losses. And I believe we’re gonna pose the biggest threat to Lomachenko come Saturday night.”
The 31-year-old Campbell (20-2, 16 KOs) has lost only split decisions to Linares and Yvan Mendy, whom Campbell beat by unanimous decision in their 12-round rematch last September 22 at Wembley Stadium in London.
Ukraine’s Lomachenko, also 31, is regularly rated as one of the top two boxers, pound-for-pound, in the sport. McGuigan feels his fighter’s size and technical skill will enable him to give Lomachenko (13-1, 10 KOs) the three-division champion’s toughest fight since Linares dropped him in a May 2018 bout Lomachenko won by 10th-round technical knockout at Madison Square Garden in New York.
“I’ve never seen Luke out of his depth with anyone,” McGuigan said. “He’s always in his comfort zone. No matter who we put him in with, he rises to their ability level. … He’s the best amateur to come out of Great Britain and I think this is gonna be a fight full of skill, full of power, full of technical movement and speed as well. So, it’s gonna be one of the best boxing fights to be in a boxing ring in a long time in the UK.”
They’ll fight for Lomachenko’s WBA and WBO lightweight titles and the vacant WBC 135-pound championship.
Their scheduled 12-rounder will be the main event of a Sky Sports Box Office pay-per-view show in the United Kingdom (£19.95; 6 p.m. BST). ESPN+ will stream Lomachenko-Campbell as part of a multi-fight show in the United States (1 p.m. EDT/10 a.m. PDT).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
