Joshua vs Klitschko: Luke Campbell earns fight with Jorge Linares after stoppage win over Darleys Perez
Sunday 30 April 2017 02:33, UK
Luke Campbell is set to challenge WBA lightweight champion Jorge Linares after stopping Darleys Perez in the ninth round of a final eliminator at Wembley.
The 2012 Olympic gold medallist is within touching distance of his first world title fight in the professional ranks as Perez retired with an arm injury after being hurt by Campbell on a number of occasions.
Linares was watching the fight from ringside and expressed his desire to return to Britain following his rematch victory over Crolla in March.
During a busy opening round, Perez was quick to target the body of Campbell, who tried to drain this early aggression with a neat right hook.
Perez continued to march forward and shrugged off another right hook in the third round before planting a firm body shot onto Campbell's belt line.
After a worrying start, Campbell made a timely breakthrough in the fourth, landing a looping left hand that sent shock waves through the legs of Perez.
That swift left hand would prove a potent weapon for Campbell and he began to pick holes in the defences of Perez, who was rocked onto his heels by a searing punch at the start of the seventh.
Campbell hurt the Colombian again in the eighth, unloading that looping left that sent Perez tottering backwards with a stunned expression on his face.
Perez sent out more distress signals when he complained of a left arm injury in the ninth and referee Steve Gray stepped in when the South American turned away from Campbell.
