Luke Campbell vs. Daniel Brizuela: Preview and Prediction for Lightweight Bout
British super-prospect Luke Campbell returns to the ring on Saturday night at the Hull Arena, taking on Daniel Brizuela in his toughest professional challenge to date.
Campbell, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist for England, turned pro in 2013 and has looked very impressive in his first eight fights. But he hasn't really been in there with much of a live fighter as yet, and Brizuela represents a decent step up in class. It will be his first 12-round bout.
Brizuela, an Argentine known for his boxing and not his punching, dropped a barnburner to Campbell's compatriot Tommy Coyle in his lone trip across the pond earlier this year, and he'll be a pretty big challenge.
How will Campbell fare in his biggest fight to date?
Read on to find out in our complete preview and prediction for Campbell vs. Brizuela.
Tale of the Tape
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| Luke Campbell | Daniel Eduardo Brizuela | |
| Record | 8-0, 6 KO | 26-3-2, 8 KO |
| Age | 27 | 28 |
| Height | 5'9" | Unlisted |
| Weight | 136.5 (last fight) | 133 (last fight) |
| Reach | Unlisted | Unlisted |
| Stance | Southpaw | Orthodox |
| Hometown | Hull, Yorkshire, United Kingdom | Las Heras, Mendoza, Argentina |
| Rounds | 34 | 205 |
| Last Fight | TKO 7 Krzysztof Szot (9/20/14) | UD 10 Jorge Samuel Fredes (7/26/14) |
All stats and information per BoxRec.com.
Main Storylines
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Campbell was a highly decorated amateur fighter who captured an Olympic gold medal in the bantamweight division at the 2012 London Games. It was a banner accomplishment, winning gold at home, and he turned professional shortly after.
He's been brought along just as you'd expect for a fighter acclimating to the professional ranks, but this represents a big level of risk for him.
It will be his first scheduled 12-rounder, against an opponent who showed tremendous guts and will in his last appearance in the United Kingdom. The point here is to give Campbell an uptick in the resistance level of his opponent, get in some rounds and become more seasoned.
Brizuela is tougher than his numbers might indicate. He lost a life-and-death war with Coyle earlier in the year, being stopped in the final round of a bout that saw both men taste the canvas four times.
The Argentine is a solid boxer, and he has some guts, but he's being brought in as an opponent.
This is a big opportunity for him to make a statement, and he'll need to rely on his boxing ability, movement and guile to pull the upset.
Strengths
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Campbell is a southpaw with great boxing instincts, good power and a high level of confidence.
He was a decorated amateur fighter, won a gold medal at his home Olympic Games in 2012 and has developed quite fan following since turning pro. He's going to have an entire arena at his back on Saturday night, and potential big fights with his compatriots next year serve as a powerful motivator.
Campbell has some significant power on his shots, and he puts a lot on his counters. In his last bout, he stopped the usually durable Krzysztof Szot in Round 7, something fellow prospects Tyrone Nurse, Scotty Cardle and Ricky Boylan couldn't do.
Brizuela has tremendous guts and guile.
He's not your prototypical Argentine fighter, in that he isn't an aggressive, come-forward slugger. He's got solid technical skills and fights well off the back foot, but he can get ferocious when a foe gets overly aggressive and attacks him.
Brizuela nearly took one from Coyle in February, rising from the mat four times to put his opponent on the mat four times, and he's not coming to lie down.
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Weaknesses
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Campbell is taking a massive step up in this fight from his previous contests. Whether it proves too much for him—12 rounds against a seasoned, dangerous pro—will be settled on Saturday night.
He's won all eight of his professional bouts—six of those inside the distance—but has never been in with a foe this tough or seasoned.
A letdown, or the potential for looking ahead, are both risks in this fight, and Campbell must guard against overlooking the foe in the ring. Or he could get beat.
Brizuela doesn't have a ton of punching power if you look at just the numbers and tape of most of his previous contests. But he had enough to deposit Coyle on the mat four times, so he could be better than the sum of his parts.
He moves around the ring a lot, but he's going to need to show that he can tag Campbell with something big enough to get his respect, or he could just end up getting walked down all night.
Luke Campbell Will Win If...
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Campbell needs to be effective and efficient at cutting off the ring against Brizuela.
The Argentine is very effective fighting going backward, and the Hull native will need to create angles for attack, forcing him into engaging and making mistakes.
Campbell has never gone more than eight rounds in a fight, and we don't know how he'll respond to being taken into the deep waters for the first time. He's said that he plans to systematically break down his foe, and that seems to be the best plan.
Rushing in and looking for a spectacular knockout is dangerous for a young fighter who hasn't been extended in the past, so Campbell should focus on doing what he does well. He should focus on just winning rounds, and if the knockout comes, then it comes.
But he shouldn't go hunting for it.
Daniel Brizuela Will Win If...
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Brizuela needs to box and move, keeping the fight at a safe distance and forcing Campbell to work hard for little return.
The Brit has never been taken beyond eight rounds, and stamina could become an issue late in the fight, particularly if he presses too hard and doesn't stay within himself.
Brizuela is good when fighting going backward, and he should use that to his advantage, forcing Campbell to chase and wing punches that he can pick off and counter. His power is better than advertised—if not spectacular—and Campbell really hasn't been tagged much as a pro.
The Argentine is best suited to win a boxing match, and if he can extend the fight without taking serious damage, he could do just that.
And the Winner Will Be...
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You can expect Brizuela to fight hard, give Campbell a few rough moments and survive late into the fight, but the pure talent gap is just too much for him to overcome.
Campbell has budding star written all over him.
He's got good power, a big personality and so much of the type of stuff that you just can't teach fighters.
Expect him to make good on his promise to break Brizuela down.
Campbell will have a few struggles in the early going, as he tries to find ways to close the distance on the tricky Argentine.
But he'll find his man with increasing regularity in the middle rounds, eventually making his power and skill the stories of the fight.
Once he begins to score and do damage, it will just be a matter of time.
Prediction: Campbell TKO 10 Brizuela
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