Tommy Coyle and Luke Campbell Remain on Course for Summer Showdown

Sometimes, the best laid plans can go awry.

When Martin Gethin dropped Tommy Coyle with a left hand in the second round of their fight Saturday, the possibility of a much-talked-about summer bout between Coyle and fellow Hull fighter Luke Campbell looked in serious danger.

Coyle, though, showed impressive powers of recovery to make sure the clash between the two local lads remains on track.

He climbed off the canvas, survived the rest of the round and slowly began to work his way back into the fight.

The victory he so desperately wanted in order to keep his bout with Campbell alive came after the fifth had ended—albeit out of the blue.

With the bout firmly in the balance, Gethin was forced to pull out due to an ear problem, per the Express & Star.

"I was confident the fight would go my way, but then in an exchange in the third, my ears went," Gethin said.

The injury problem for the former British champion cut short an interesting spectacle.

Gethin had been cautious from the first bell yet had delivered a demonstration of his power with the knockdown in the second round.

Yet just as he had done against Daniel Brizuela, when he was sent to the canvas on four occasions, Coyle had found a way to win. This tweet rather summed it up perfectly: 

Coyle was apologetic afterwards, telling Sky Sports in his post-fight interview, "Sorry it was a short night, but let's all look forward to the summer showdown with Luke Campbell."

He had no need to say sorry to the crowd or to the viewers watching the coverage. Whether his fights go the distance or not, Coyle always entertains. 

The 25-year-old admitted he had trouble remaining focused, per the Hull Daily Mail, because of what was on the line:

"

The fight against Luke, it's something I want so badly. I want it for the city, for the fans, but also for myself for my own career and my progression.

With that fight dangled in front of me, there was a lot of pressure to come through against a very good opponent in Gethin.

Half my brain was on Luke, half on Gethin. Martin is a great fighter and I am just thankful I came through and can now get that mega fight with my good friend Luke.

"

Unlike Coyle, Campbell had no concerns during his outing on the same card.

The 2012 Olympic gold medalist had withdrawn from the "Divide and Conquer" bill on March 7 due to the ill health of his father (h/t Daily Star) but decided to appear in his home city after consulting his family.

Nigel Roddis/Getty Images

Levis Morales was never expected to give him too much trouble, and Campbell duly dispatched the Nicaraguan inside three rounds.

The win stretched Campbell's perfect record to 10-0.

He will have one final hurdle to clear before taking on Coyle—the Hull Daily Mail suggested he will be back in action again in April on the undercard to Lee Selby's bid to win the IBF featherweight title.           

The 27-year-old has passed every test that has been put in front of him by promoter Eddie Hearn though Coyle will comfortably be a step up from any of the opponents he has fought so far.

The pair will put their long friendship to one side when they go toe-to-toe, as Coyle stated in a tweet:

Both men are confident of victory, as is to be expected.

Campbell, per Chris McKenna of the Daily Star, expects a stoppage success in his favour.

"I think it will be a knockout win," Campbell said. "It will be exploit and finish. It will be no problem."

Coyle is just as confident, as he told Sky Sports.

"Luke's my pal, you all know that," Coyle said. "We're from the same city, we have been all over the world together, but he has not been in with nobody yet, and I think I'm going to knock him out, and he's my pal."

It will be an intriguing battle between the boxing skills and fast hands of Campbell against the fighting instincts and huge heart of Coyle.

The residents of Hull will have to pick a side to support. Picking a winner, however, could be a much tougher choice.