Tommy Coyle should be proud despite defeat by Luke Campbell, says Jamie Moore
Tuesday 4 August 2015 22:18, UK
Jamie Moore is proud of Tommy Coyle, tips Luke Campbell for the top, and cannot wait for Dillian Whyte's fight with Anthony Joshua.
Can Tommy Coyle take pride out of his brave defeat by Luke Campbell?
As his coach, I do believe he could have boxed better and done things differently, but I think a lot of that was down to Luke Campbell forcing him to make mistakes. You’ve got to take your hat off to Luke, but I think Tommy Coyle will learn a lot from that fight. Over the next year or two you will see a better fighter for it.
He was too hard on himself after the fight, he was too disappointed. He really expected to win, we had a great training camp and it couldn’t have gone any better. Luke is verging on world class already and in time Tommy’s performance will look a lot better than he realises at the moment.
He’s not just a good fighter, he’s my friend, and I’m proud of what he’s doing for the community.
It broke his heart. It wasn’t his first loss, but he lost in a local derby against an Olympian and he thought he was going to win. He was heartbroken but I told him before the fight, regardless of what happens, I’m proud of the commitment you have put into the camp. But I’m not just proud of him as a fighter, I’m proud of him as a man and as a human being. What he’s doing for the community in Hull, getting kids off the streets, and his performance the other night will inspire young kids to be like him or Luke Campbell. He’s not just a good fighter, he’s my friend, and I’m proud of what he’s doing for the community.
Is Campbell potentially the best lightweight in Britain?
I’m not going to go out there and say he’s the best, because I’ll sound like I’m trying to big up his performance on the back of that win over Tommy. At the moment it’s between Anthony Crolla, Kevin Mitchell and Derry Mathews is in there with a shout - those three. But I will say this, I wouldn’t bet against him if he faced any of those three. That’s how confident I am about his ability.
If any of those guys are going to be pitted against him, then I would advise them to do it sooner rather than later because over the next two years he’s going to get even better.
Can Dillian Whyte seriously threaten Anthony Joshua’s unbeaten record?
I really like Dillian Whyte. I think he’s a great addition to the heavyweight division. The only reason I don’t pick him against Joshua is because I rate Anthony so highly. That isn’t a slight on how much I rate Dillian Whyte. I think he’s a cracking fighter who could go on to do big things in the heavyweight division.
I think maybe Dillian Whyte’s confidence and the fact that he’s going to try and jump down Joshua’s throat and put it on him could prove his undoing. If you’re going to go about the job that way against Joshua, then potentially you are going to set yourself up for a bit of a fall. But it won’t be for want of trying and I think at this stage he’s definitely a dangerous opponent for Joshua. He’s got that win over him as an amateur which, although they are totally different fighters, psychologically can play a part.
It certainly is a risk. I do pick Joshua at this stage, but I think it will be a good test for him and it will be entertaining.
Has Brian Rose revived his career with rematch win over Carson Jones?
Me and Brian talked beforehand and he was wondering where he would go if he lost again to Carson Jones. I think he would have walked away, but what a performance he put on.
You could see in the body language of Jones that he really thought he was going to go in there and upset everyone again by beating Brian. In the second round, Rose got shook up and was in trouble, his nose was cut, but he bit down on the gum shield, dug deep and I thought that was the best performance of his career.
You’ve got to take your hat off to him and trainer Bobby Rimmer, who have been together from the beginning, and have had their share of setbacks. They have stuck it out and are getting the rewards they deserve.
Should Kristian Laight receive more credit for his unsung role in the sport?
I was talking to Jon Pegg his trainer, who told me that Kristian had won on Saturday. He’s my favourite journeyman, he loses in week-in-week-out, but he’s always competitive and always gives a good account of himself.
He boxes over three weight divisions, depending what weight he’s needed at. He’ll come in and drop a few pounds or add a few to make up the numbers and do someone a favour. Without people like him, boxing wouldn’t survive. We wouldn’t get to enjoy this sport and get the champions further down the line if it wasn’t for fighters like him.
When they do get the odd win, they should get the credit they deserve.
