Campbell all set for biggest test yet

LUKE Campbell (above) will take on former world champion Darleys Perez later this month in an eliminator for the No 1 spot to box WBA lightweight beltholder Jorge Linares.

The London 2012 gold medallist faces his stiffest test to date as a professional on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s world heavyweight title showdown against Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley on the 29th of this month.

Perez (33-2-2, 21KOs) held the WBA strap until he was dethroned in November 2015 by Anthony Crolla, who in turn went on to lose two unanimous decisions to Linares.

The Tokyo-based Venezuelan produced a remarkable display to see off a valiant but overmatched Crolla in their rematch at the Manchester Arena last month but Campbell believes he could succeed where his fellow Briton failed.

Campbell said: “We have identified Linares as a fight we want and this win would put us No 1 in the WBA and in a great position to fight him.”

Campbell has bounced back from his only defeat in the paid ranks to Yvan Mendy in November 2015 with four successive wins to put himself among the contenders at 135lbs.

However, he must first get past Colombia’s Perez and the 29-year-old is in no doubt as to the severity of his challenge.

“This is the fight of my career so far and I’m so excited to be boxing on this huge night at Wembley,” said Campbell (16-1, 13KOs).

“I feel like I’ve been improving with every performance.”