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Nick Parkinson
Luke Campbell insists he feels no jealousy towards fellow 2012 Olympic gold medallist Anthony Joshua as the heavyweight world champion prepares for another high-profile title defence.
After their triumphs at London 2012, both amateurs turned professional but Joshua is now a multi-millionaire and one of boxing’s biggest stars.
Joshua, 28, won his first world title in April 2016 and now holds three of the four world heavyweight title belts.
But Campbell (18-2 15 KOs), 30, has yet to lift a world title and has twice lost on points — to Venezuela’s Jorge Linares for the WBA lightweight title via a split decision a year ago, and to Yvan Mendy (40-4-1, 19 KOs), of France, in December 2015.
“People look at other people’s lives and think, ‘I want that’, but when you actually look at your own life, I wouldn’t change a single thing,” Campbell said.
“Everybody is on their own path. I’ve never had it easy in boxing, from day one, never. I’ve never asked for an easy run.
“So for all Joshua has gone on to achieve as a heavyweight, there’s no way I’m jealous of somebody else. If anything I only admire him. I admire him for the person he is and the way he acts with everybody.”
Campbell had to contend with the death of his father Bernard while he was in the U.S. preparing to fight two weeks before he took on Linares .
But the fighter from Hull says he feels no envy while he continues to chase his dream. He faces Mendy, 33, in a WBC world title eliminator on the undercard of Joshua’s sixth title defence against Russian Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium on Sept. 22.
“He [Anthony Joshua] is a superstar, let’s get it right, he takes it very well and he’s a great role model. He’s the face of boxing and if it wasn’t him earning all that money it would be someone else so why not let it be him.
“He works hard and he’s dedicated and he’s a nice person. There are a lot of other people out there that are horrible who are earning a lot more money in what they’re doing.
“We’re all on different paths and I’m still dreaming of achieving what he has achieved. I want to go on and be a star because this is what I live to do.
Campbell, who was floored by Mendy the last time they met in a lacklustre performance, will have Shane McGuigan in his corner for the first time after he was training with Jorge Rubio in Miami.
“I feel like I have come on leaps and bounds with Shane,” Campbell said.
“I’ve been looking the best I’ve looked, feeling the best I’ve felt, and I’m ready to put a show on.
“No one has seen anywhere near what I’m capable of doing. This fight you’re going to start seeing what I’m capable of doing and what I can go on to achieve.
“I want to clean Mendy off my record and then I want to clean Linares off my record too. He has got to No. 1 in the WBC rankings and I’m at No. 2, so it’s the top two fighting for the final eliminator.”
“I want to clean my record, I want to be undefeated again.”