CAMPBELL MAY HAVE HIT THE END OF ROAD
KO’d Luke considers future
LUKE CAMPBELL was left heartbroken after his world title dreams were crushed by a body shot from Ryan Garcia.
The Hull lightweight was hoping for a third crack at becoming a world champion by beating the rising American star Garcia in a WBC title final eliminator in Dallas.
But it is the flash American who is on the fast track to the big time now after he climbed off the canvas in the second to become the first boxer to stop Campbell. A left hook to the body ended it in the seventh and now gallant Campbell, 33, will consider his future.
“I’m heartbroken... I really wanted to bring the win back for you all [ in the UK],” said Campbell. “I’m sorry for that. I hope you all enjoyed the fight.
“I have to take my hat off to Ryan Garcia – well done and a massive future ahead for him. I wish him all the best. He’s very heavy- handed. Even en when I was blocking the e shots I could feel them.
“That was the hardest shot I was ever hit with. I tried and tried to get up, p, but I couldn’t. I felt him im coming on and I was moving oving back. And when I moved back, my body relaxed a little bit and that’s the exact time he hit me.”
Garcia, above, who at 22 is one of the brightest stars in the sport, has now won 18 of his 21 professional fights by stoppage. The win makes him mandatory challenger to WBC lightweight king Devin Haney but most of all silenced doubters who had felt Ryan was just hype.
“My performance definitely showed a lot of people who I really am,” said Garcia, who had never been on the canvas until Saturday. “I chose to be a champion. I didn’t let anything stop me from being a champion tonigh tonight. Even when he dro dropped me I knew that co couldn’t stop me from b being champion.
“I felt I could just w walk him down, but he ended up cracking me me. So I had to adjust and c calm down. I was a little dizzy with the knockdown, but I wasn’t worried. He’s not used to going forward, so I just knew I had to cover up.
“He never fights coming forward, so I knew he would back up. I’m naturally a counterpuncher but I showed I can take it to somebody and win.”