LUKE CAMPBELL has finally got a date to face Mexican sensation Ryan Garcia.
Hull’s 2012 Olympic champ has been waiting for his crack at the lightweight golden boy for months and has finally been told that December 5 is the day.
Painfully, the WBC currently has two 9st 9lbs champions in ‘franchise’ champ Vasiliy Lomachenko and Devin Haney so Campbell will now only fight for the ‘interim’ honour.
It’s been a frustrating wait for the 33-year-old Englishman as Garcia, 22, has spent most of lockdown trying to boost his social media followers instead of signing on the dotted line.
But the father-of-three now has a Christmas cracker to focus on and he intends on punishing the fame-hungry American for keeping him waiting.
He told SunSport: “Garcia has speed and power and a lot of social media fame but he also looks like he could take a good beating.
“I still feel like a fresh up-and-comer but I am also ready to be the boogieman for these new kids on the block, I feel I am the toughest fight for all of these guys.
“Garcia was supposed to fight on July 4, against Abner Mares who usually fights at featherweight and has not boxed in two years, but he pulled out because the money was not good enough.
“Well I am no featherweight and I am raring to go so I will be a nightmare for him.”
Campbell went 12 rounds with double Olympic champ Loma in August and the judges had him losing a wide decision in his second world title attempt.
The baby-faced veteran had plenty of options after impressing in the O2 clash but he is hellbent on landing that iconic green and gold belt.
He said: “After the Lomachenko fight I had loads of options, big money fights, but I decided to continue my fight for the WBC world title, that green and gold belt is my dream.
“In 2017 I boxed Jorge Linares for the world title, a bit too soon in my career, when he was a three-weight world champ and the best lightweight in the world.
“I got beat in America on a split decision, that I still think I won.
“The next time I took on the No1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet in Lomachenko and I think I had some real moments in that fight.
“I will get another world title shot and I will take it. And there us nothing Ryan Garcia can say or do about it.”
