News29 Dec, 2020 by Deke Smith | Quick read
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The long-awaited lightweight matchup between rising star Ryan Garcia and two-time world title challenger Luke Campbell is finally here. The two go head to head this Saturday with the vacant WBC interim lightweight title on the line.
On paper, Cambell should present the biggest test of Garcia's career. The 33-year-old from Hull, England, has only had a couple more fights than Garcia, but he has mixed at a much higher level, having given good accounts of himself against the likes of Jorge Linares and Vasyl Lomachenko.
While the fight isn't exactly 'make or break' for either man, a win would see the victor move right into position for a world title shot. A loss, on the other hand, would present a significant setback. For Cambell in particular, who has already had two shots at world honours, a third high profile loss would be difficult to recover from. Though the Linares and Lomachenko fights leave no questions about whether or not he belongs in the ring with the world's elite, a loss to Garcia would likely lead to speculation that while able to compete, the man from Hull might not have what it takes to win at that level.
As for Garcia, a loss might derail any 2021 world title plans, but at this early stage of his career, losing to someone of Campbell's calibre certainly wouldn't be disastrous in the long run. Being the unbeaten man, and with 17 knockouts from his 20 wins, Garcia enters the fight as the bookies favourite, but should there be an upset, there is certainly no shame to be found in losing to a man who went the distance with two legends of the division. Plus, at just 22 years old, Garcia has plenty of time to recover from a potential loss.
Here's how they stack up on paper -
| Stats | Ryan Garcia | Luke Campbell |
| Age | 22 | 33 |
| Height | 5' 10" | 5' 9" |
| Reach | 70" | 71" |
| Stance | Orthodox | Southpaw |
| Fights | 20 | 23 |
| Wins | 20 | 20 |
| Wins by KO | 17 | 16 |
| Losses | 0 | 3 |
| Draws | 0 | 0 |
Garcia vs Campbell takes place at the American Airlines Centre, Dallas, and is available to watch globally on the DAZN streaming platform.
The event, scheduled for Saturday 2 January, will begin undercard coverage from 8 pm GMT, with Garcia vs Campbell expected to get underway around 11 pm GMT (5 pm CST, 3 pm PST, 6 pm EST).
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