Luke Campbell can take another big step towards a world title fight in 2016, says Jamie Moore
Thursday 10 December 2015 12:38, UK
Luke Campbell is hot on the heels of his British lightweight rivals as he hunts down a world title fight in 2016, says Jamie Moore.
Luke Campbell is an unbelievable talent.
I have seen what he is capable of up close when he boxed Tommy Coyle and Saturday night at the O2 will be a big stage for him to remind everyone just how good he can be.
I expect him to be moving up in levels quite soon. He's definitely capable of boxing at the top level and the sooner he gets up there the better. I believe he can go all the way. Whether his punch power will be enough remains to be seen, but skill-wise and talent-wise, he's definitely capable of going right to the top, that's for sure.
It's not always about power. It can be down to the accuracy of the punches and I think that is what Luke has got rather than raw power. It's the timing, the speed and accuracy of his shots that can get his opponents out of there.
If he can become the first man to stop Yvan Mendy then that will make a statement and he will definitely want to do that on Saturday night. I don't think anyone is going to outshine the Anthony Joshua against Dillian Whyte fight, but I think Luke Campbell could be the name that people talk about from the undercard.
Obviously Kevin Mitchell, one of his lightweight rivals, is on the same bill and he is targeting a shot at WBA champion Anthony Crolla, but I've got a feeling that Luke will be trying to gatecrash the party. If Mitchell comes through his fight but then has an injury, then Luke would be the ideal man to step in.
If Mitchell comes through his fight but has an injury, then Luke would be the ideal man to step in.
I don't think he would be averse to coming in at late notice because of his experience in the amateurs. He is used to boxing three or four different styles in a week during an amateur tournament, so a late change of opponent at any level would not bother Luke Campbell.
He should be coming into his prime now and maybe he cannot go straight for the very best at lightweight, but he can certainly mix it with our top domestic fighters by next year.
Watch Campbell vs Mendy on Joshua vs Whyte, exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office, December 12, now available to order via your Sky remote online
