Luke Campbell might be the best in Britain but still needs to learn says Johnny Nelson
Thursday 30 July 2015 13:27, UK
Luke Campbell will rise up the rankings if he wins his Hull showdown with Tommy Coyle, but Johnny Nelson has urged him to wait longer for a title shot...
I think Luke Campbell is about 12 to 16 months away from a British title shot. It’s not that he hasn’t got the ability, he just hasn’t got the experience yet. The next step up is the Lonsdale belt, then Commonwealth, then European. Has he got the experience to be in those waters yet? No. Has he got the ability? Yes.
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For Campbell, it’s brain over brawn, and the brain says take your time. Work your way through the top 10 and then get yourself into a position for the British title when you are confident about your own experience. He’s going to be in hairy situations when you can get turned over. We’ve seen it so many times, with so many fighters - David Price being one of them. He went in with an experienced guy and it’s ruined his career. We also saw the likes of David Haye getting beaten at this stage by Carl Thompson. It’s was a gamble.
For me, I would just take my time, rise up through the ranks legitimately and then fight for the British title. Once you’ve got that British title, opportunities can fly your way, Commonwealth, European, and even world titles. When you are in the ring fighting for the jewel in the crown - which is the world title - you want to know mentally that you’ve got it.
Without a doubt, he could be the best in Britain. He’s an outstanding specimen, an outstanding fighter. But with every fighter and even the greatest like Muhammad Ali, it’s not just about ability, it’s about matchmaking. Good matchmaking brings you on mentally as well as physically.
You might learn a few things about Luke in Saturday’s fight with Tommy Coyle. Familiarity breeds contempt, so will Campbell think he’s got Coyle’s number because he knows him, he thinks he can outbox him and outwork him. Will he be comfortable and complacent because he knows the guy in front of him? Or will Coyle raise his game because he knows how good Campbell is.
Sparring and fighting are two completely different things. He can be tested, it just depends on his attitude.
Watch Campbell's clash with Coyle and a packed Hull bill on Saturday from 8pm on Sky Sports 1.
