Luke Campbell Worth His Weight in Gold as He Closes in on World-Title Shot

Luke Campbell struck gold in the summer of 2012. Now, four years later, he has his eyes on another prize.

The Englishman was one of many success stories for Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympic Games, defeating Irishman John Joe Nevin in the bantamweight final to secure top spot on the podium.

The medal wasn't his only reward. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services to boxing, plus Royal Mail commissioned a stamp with his head on. In Hull, the boxer's home city, a postbox and telephone box were painted gold to celebrate the local lad's achievement.

The Olympic wheel has almost turned full circle again. On Friday, the opening ceremony for the 2016 Games takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Britain will have new names hoping to follow in Campbell's footsteps, but the man himself isn't too interested in looking back. His amateur days are done—the focus is on the future as a professional.

Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press

"The memories [of the Olympics] will live with me forever. It was a great journey," he said.

"I travelled the world. At times, I didn’t like what I was doing, staying in places where no one had ever been to. But it’s got me where I am today. It was my lifelong dream to be an Olympic champion, and I sacrificed a hell of a lot just to get there. Now, I always try to keep moving forward."

Lightweight Campbell boasts a 14-1 (11 KOs) record in the paid ranks.

On Saturday, he added the biggest name to his list of scalps. At the First Direct Arena in Leeds, England, Campbell climbed off the canvas to beat Argenis Mendez, a former world champion at super featherweight.

The unanimous points success secured the vacant WBC Silver title. He has already held the governing body's International strap and is inside the top 10 in their official rankings. He'd claimed the Commonwealth belt earlier in the year, too, stopping Gary Sykes inside two rounds.

Yet it hasn't always been plain sailing for Campbell since his debut in July 2013. His father's battle with cancer led to him taking time out from his career, while he suffered a shock loss to Yvan Mendy last year. 

His performances since that defeat in December 2015 suggest it was only a temporary blip, though.

Since teaming up with trainer Jorge Rubio on a permanent basis, Campbell has crushed Sykes and seen off Mendez, a tricky opponent who barely bothered to engage after breaking his jaw in Round 4.

The fighter-coach relationship developed over a lengthy period of time, as Campbell explained: "I’d done bits and bobs with Jorge for the past year-and-a-half. It was two weeks here, two weeks there, but we seemed to get on really well.

"However long we were together, whether it was two weeks or just 10 days, I was learning from him. I enjoyed working with him and looked forward to going to the gym to work with him."

But, in choosing to work full time with Cuban Rubio—who he calls "George"—Campbell committed to spending lengthy periods away from his young family to work with the trainer at his Miami base. It is tough to leave behind his wife and two young sons, but it's a business decision he had to make.

"That’s the toughest thing about it [working with Rubio]—I have to leave my kids and my wife. That’s the biggest sacrifice I will have to make," he admitted. "I’m a family man. I like being with my kids and my wife. I don’t go out partying here there and everywhere, or drinking. It’s a simple life, but I’m very happy."

Campbell—who has seen former Team GB colleague Anthony Joshua go on to win a world title in the heavyweight division—admits to being in a "good place" ahead of a crucial period in his career.

"I’d like to fight for a world title next year. This year is all about the grind, keeping my head down and working constantly," he added.

The victory over Mendez was another stepping stone toward the top, but the second-round knockdown shows the baby-faced 28-year-old is not the finished article just yet.

The tests will only get tougher in the future, but Campbell's amateur pedigree—he also won a silver medal at the 2011 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan—has given him a firm foundation to build on.

A southpaw with speed, his counter-punching abilities will be better served against opponents who come at him.

Mendez made it tough to look good, but Campbell at least found a way to triumph.

He told Sky Sports (h/t Matt Horan of SkySports.com) after the bout: "We will see where Eddie Hearn [Campbell's promoter] will take me next, and me and Jorge will keep working and moving forward."

Rubio previously worked with another British Olympic star.

His stint with Amir Khan—who was just a teenager when he won the silver medal at Athens in 2004—was short and not so sweet. Having suggested Breidis Prescott as an ideal opponent in 2008, Rubio saw his young charge flattened inside a round by the heavy-handed Colombian.

He might well have had flashbacks at the weekend when Campbell went down, but his current fighter recovered quickly from the setback.

It was not the first bump in the road since London 2012, but the determined Campbell remains on course to complete the prestigious double of Olympic gold medalist and world champion.

Rob Lancaster is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.