Lomachenko vs Campbell: Five big names to have fought in Britain

Ahead of three-weight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko's showdown with Luke Campbell, we remember five greats who fought in Britain.

Lomachenko will defend his WBA 'super' and WBO lightweight titles against fellow Olympic champion while the vacant WBC strap will also be up for grabs at The O2 on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

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Mike Tyson

The man from Brooklyn, New York was way past his formidable best, but when Mike Tyson showed up in Manchester in 2000 to take on Julius Francis, British boxing fans were treated to a glimpse of one of sport's most recognisable faces.

A fight between Tyson and Britain's Lennox Lewis had long been speculated but on this night, Tyson had to make do with a severely outclassed Francis. The London man sold advertising space on the sole of his boots to cash in on his likely fall and the sponsors who chose to be placed there got their money's worth as Tyson blasted Francis in two one-sided rounds. Boxing's youngest heavyweight champion would return to Britain later that year to stop Lou Savarese, but his original visit created a far more significant buzz.

Marco Antonio Barrera

Mexico's Marco Antonio Barrera was a formidable force when he showed up in London in 1999 to destroy Ellesmere Port's Paul Lloyd in one round. Despite the ferociousness of the performance, those in attendance had no idea they were witnessing a future great as the best wins of Barrera's career were still in front of him as he went on to register a Hall of Fame ledger with memorable wins over Naseem Hamed and Erik Morales.

In 2009, Barrera, extremely faded, arrived in Manchester to provide name value to Amir Khan's struggling apprenticeship just a few months after he had been stopped in seconds by Breidis Prescott. Barrera no longer provided the same relentlessness he was famed for, but he was treated to a hero's welcome in Khan's backyard as the local crowd appreciated his long list of achievements. An accidental clash of heads meant the fight went to the scorecards early and it was Khan who took the victory.

Gennady Golovkin

One of the middleweight division's most fearsome punchers, Kazakhstan's Gennady Golovkin travelled to London in September 2016 to sample the thriving U.K. fight scene in the shape of Sheffield's Kell Brook. Since becoming world champion two years earlier, Brook's ability to land a big fight fell way short at 147lbs so a leap two divisions to tackle Golovkin was the next best thing.

Despite some within the trade giving Brook a chance against all odds, the fight quickly became Golovkin's following a bright start from Brook. GGG walked his opponent down with more intent and as the shots landed more frequently, Brook's face became unrecognisable. Dominic Ingle, Brook's trainer, leaped onto the apron to halt proceedings, preventing his fighter from taking further punishment.

Wladimir Klitschko

A dominant heavyweight champion who had overcome a long list of worthy challengers, Wladimir Klitschko found Tyson Fury one step too far as he lost his world titles at the backend of 2015. A lengthy sabbatical from the sport saw the entire heavyweight landscape alter drastically in Klitschko's absence and when he returned in 2017 to take on Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium, excitement in Britain for this heavyweight clash was at an all-time high.

With Joshua conceding a wealth of experience, he used his youth and freshness to build an early lead and he also dropped Klitschko in the fight's early rounds. His inexperience and failure to finish the job allowed Klitschko a reprieve and a heavy right hand from the powerful Ukrainian had Joshua all over the place. AJ rallied brilliantly with his home crowd roaring him on and he finally managed to close the show with a barrage of punches in the fight's penultimate round.

Oleksandr Usyk

There's only been a handful of times in boxing history when all four world titles have been on the line and only once has that event taken place in Britain. In November last year, Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk, fresh off unifying every cruiserweight belt in the inaugural WBSS tournament, travelled to Manchester to defend his crown against Liverpool's Tony Bellew, who was riding high after two wins at heavyweight over David Haye.

Bellew began this highly-anticipated battle brilliantly as he built a lead in the early rounds, but his initial success came at a cost as he was being made to work at a very demanding pace. Usyk increased his own tempo from the middle rounds and with Bellew visibly tiring, Usyk unleashed a left hand that was enough to force a sensible stoppage.

Watch Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Luke Campbell on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office, from 6pm. Book it via your Sky remote or book it online here. Even if you aren't a Sky TV subscriber you can book and watch it here.