Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell would come out of retirement to fight Conor Benn without hesitation.
Campbell, who took gold at London 2012, also fought at the highest level as a professional, outboxing Vasiliy Lomachenko and Ryan Garcia in an impressive professional career.
Benn drew the ire of Campbell when he disparaged the Olympic champion’s performance against Garcia.
Campbell has not boxed since that bout in 2021. But encouraged by Benn, he would return.
“Once it’s in your blood, it’s in your blood,” Campbell said Sky Sports. “I’m not officially coming back, but I’m training as always and if there was an opportunity that would present itself then I would take it.”
Campbell is now Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire. But boxing remains on his mind. “I still think about it. There are combinations flying through my head all the time. Not like I used to, but still,” he said.
“I think boxing is one of the only sports that brings you to the present moment. Your mind can’t afford to go backwards or forwards. You have to be in the moment.”
He wouldn’t hesitate to fight Benn. “100 percent. If it came my way, definitely,” Campbell said. “I didn’t call anyone, he was insulting me and I just responded to that.
“It’s all gone from there really. I would definitely entertain him.”
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Speaking on Toe2Toe, Barry Jones reflects on Conor Benn’s loss to Ryan Garcia.
Even now, after all these years out, Campbell, who boxed in the welterweight division, is confident he would knock out Benn, a welterweight looking to make a comeback in the divisions.
“I don’t know what was going through his head or what level he thought he was (when he fought Garcia).
“It would be the same result (with me as with Garcia), maybe a knockout. I don’t know if it would be two rounds, but it would be the same result.”