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Luke Campbell to return to Hull for title defence

By Ben Guzdek

Former Olympic champion Luke Campbell will defend his WBC silver title against Jairo Lopez in front of local supporters at the Hull Ice Arena.

It has been over a year since he last had a competitive fight in his home town, which was against rival Tommy Coyle at Craven Park in August 2015.

Campbell will be coming into the clash after a stunning performance against Derry Matthews in Liverpool. The champion’s lethal body-shots won him the match by knockout in four rounds.

He spoke to matchroomboxing.com and said: “I have a great team around me and whatever route they plan for me, then that is what I will do.

“I want to build up and maybe by the end of the year fight for a world title. This is the biggest year of my career and I am working hard, making sacrifices and putting everything I have got into it so hopefully by the end of the year I can be world champion.”

Mike Bromby, who coached Campbell at the St Paul’s boxing academy in Hull, spoke to Yorkshire Voice: “It will be a great fight, I’ve been working with him and we’ve been training in Miami throughout the past weeks. He will be ready to defend his title.”

The clash with Lopez will be one of the undercard bouts before the main event, Doncaster man Gavin McDonnell’s fight against Mexican Rey Vargas. McDonnell aims to join his twin brother Jamie as a world champion, and the bout will be for the WBC super bantamweight title.

Campbell’s fellow Hull favourite Coyle will also be taking part in the action following his epic British title encounter with Tyrone Nurse, taking on unbeaten Londoner Rakeem Noble.

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