Luke Campbell wants KO statement against Argenis Mendez
Tuesday 26 July 2016 17:53, UK
Luke Campbell wants to stop former world champion Argenis Mendez on Saturday and stake his claim for a shot at the WBC lightweight title.
Hull's Olympic champion is stepping up in class to take on Mendez as part of a live Sky Sports bill in Leeds topped by local hero Josh Warrington.
Mendez comes to England on the back of defeat to Robert Easter Jr, but the Dominican Republic fighter is a former IBF champ at super-featherweight and has twice been in with undefeated rising star Rances Barthelemy.
"He's got a very high pedigree," said Campbell, who lost his own unbeaten record to Yvan Mendy in December but has since stopped Gary Sykes.
"He's boxed the best, he's a former world champion with a lot of experience and great skill and it's going to be a tough test. But then again it's a great opportunity for me to go in there and beat an established fighter."
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Both fighters have an amateur pedigree - Mendez is a former World Junior silver medallist - but Campbell is not ruling out a war on Saturday and is in the hunt for an early finish.
He told Sky Sports News HQ: "It could be a game of chess or the game of chess could go out the window and it could be 'see who's the toughest man, who can hit each other the most'.
"If it goes the distance it goes the distance, but if I sense I've hurt him at all I'm going to go and finish him, I'm going to take him out."
The WBC's silver title is on the line, but Campbell's target is the senior belt currently held by Dejan Zlaticanin.
"If I get the win it's going to give me a few good steps up the ladders," he said. "Let's hope we can get the position to fight for the WBC. I do this because I want to be the best in the world."
