Jorge Linares (42-3, 27 KOs) faces Luke Campbell (17-1, 14 KOs) at the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, California Saturday, September 23, 2017. Campbell will be challenging Linares for his WBA Lightweight title.
This is a well-matched fight at a good time for both fighters–both have overcome loses and are working towards re-establishing their careers as top Lightweights.
Linares’ career hasn’t gone as originally expected. His first loss was a 73-second TKO to Juan Carlos Salgado in 2009, followed by back-to-back loses both by TKO to Antonio DeMarco and Sergio Thompson in 2011 and 2012. Many wouldn’t have anticipated that five years later, Linares would have found himself in an HBO main event title fight, yet tomorrow it will be a reality.
Linares is a very crafty fighter–he is technical and patient which often frustrates his opponents forcing them to quickly abandon their game plan. But Linares doesn’t have the best chin and he is very prone to cuts. In the last few years, Linares has been at his best and though he hasn’t fought too many big names, no one has been able to match his skill.
“I’m very grateful to Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions because they are presenting the best of the best. I am very happy about this big fight. Saturday is two days away, and we have trained well and are right on track with weight. I also want to give my condolences to all the people of Mexico who are going through an extremely tough time, and to Puerto Rico because I have family over there as well. I am more than ready for this big fight,” stated Champion Jorge Linares in the final press conference.
Unless you follow boxing religiously, you probably haven’t even heard of Luke Campbell but he is an impressive fighter. Campbell won the Olympic gold medal for Great Britain in 2012, later turning pro in 2013. He has a single split decision loss after going 12-0, to tough veteran Yvan Mendy in December of 2015.
Since his only loss, many people figured his career would be derailed but in his last five bouts, he has bounced back and shown great perseverance. At the age of 29, it is not surprising that Campbell is excited to jump in the ring to face an extremely tough opponent in Linares.
“I’m very excited to make my debut on HBO. Thank you to Jorge Linares for giving me this opportunity with Golden Boy Promotions. I’ve had a great camp. I’m focused. I can’t remember the last time I was as focused as this, and I’ll need it against such a great champion as Linares. It’s a great challenge. It’s a challenge I’m really up for. It’s a challenge I believe I can overcome Saturday night. It’s going to be a great fight,” stated Campbell.
This will be an exciting matchup between two fighters who are ready to prove they deserve to be at the top of the lightweight division. Tune into HBO Saturday night for a great night of fighting. Linares vs. Campbell is a high level fight and will not disappoint.
