Ryan Garcia vs Luke Campbell Preview
Saturday sees the first boxing card of 2021, as Brit Luke Campbell takes on the undefeated Ryan Garcia live on DAZN. The fight will be taking place at The American Airlines Centre in Dallas, Texas in front of a limited capacity crowd. The fight was scheduled to take place in December, however Campbell contracted COVID-19 hence the new date. The winner of the fight is expected to go onto face WBC champion, Devin Haney.
Luke Campbell has not fought since his defeat against former pound for pound number one, Vasily Lomachenko. This could arguably be the last chance for the Olympic Gold Medallist to make another run at the world title, with another loss on his record being damaging. There is no questioning his desire, having already been in the ring with the aforementioned Lomachenko and also Jorge Linares. His only other loss came at the hands of Yvan Mendy, although this was later avenged. In an age where fighters are often tormented for taking the ‘easy option’, Garcia is a dangerous fight and would be a big scalp on his already impressive record.
For Campbell, these fights are all about legacy, and he told BBC Sport:
"How many world champions are out there who no-one cares about or haven't got a penny? Would you rather have a belt on your shelf? When it's all said and done in this sport, I want people to say: 'He boxed the best and beat them. What a fighter he was. I'm happy with that. If a title comes, 100% thank you very much, that would be the icing on the cake. I know there are some huge performances to come from me."
The major question for this fight is whether the experience of Campbell will be too much for the relatively untested Garcia, making the fight extremely intriguing. Garcia has become a big name in the world of boxing, mainly due to his online presence and lifestyle. Despite only being a professional for four years, he has already gained over 7 million followers on Instagram and attracted major endorsement deals. He has especially connected to a younger audience, featuring in many famous YouTuber's videos, such as - everyone’s least favourite boxer- Jake Paul.
Many people have termed him a ‘social media fighter’, mainly used to belittle him and his ability. He will be hoping to silence the naysayers this weekend, a win over the tough and talented Campbell would do exactly that. Garcia is also trained by Canelo Alvarez’s trainer Eddy Reynoso, which will undoubtedly help him should the fight be as close as many predict.
Garcia told Sky Sports:
“I’m still the young gun coming up. I keep hearing that he’s going to knock me out. You couldn’t even knock out a 126-pounder in Loma. He’s not going to beat me. That’s just the facts of the matter. He’s talking a big game, but he’s going to learn real quick that I hit a lot harder than Loma."
Campbell must take Garcia to a depth he has not been before, and hope that it is too much for him. No fighter knows how well they will react to being put under pressure. If Campbell can land a big shot on ‘Kingry’, it will be interesting to see how he reacts and whether he can withstand it. Garcia is the favourite with the bookies, who think he will have too much for the Brit. With DAZN stating that there will be a U.K friendly start time, this is a fight you will not want to miss. It is a chance for British fight fans to get behind one of their own, in one of their most important fights. The opportunity to face champion Haney, sets up another mouth-watering encounter for the winner. With each fighter signed up to DAZN, it should not be a difficult fight for Eddie Hearn to make.
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Date: 02/01/21
Where: The American Airlines Centre, Dallas
Expected UK Ring Walk Time: 11pm GMT
Where To Watch: DAZN