Luke Campbell vs. Derry Mathews: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info

Luke Campbell and Derry Mathews go head-to-head on Saturday in an intriguing lightweight clash in Liverpool, England.

The two Englishmen may be at different ends of the spectrum when it comes to their pro careers, but both are focused on the same target—getting a shot at a world title as soon as possible.

Campbell (14-1, 11 KOs) will be defending the WBC Silver belt he picked up in July with victory over Argenis Mendez, although he had to climb off the canvas that night to triumph on the scorecards.

For Mathews, this looks to be a must-win situation. Dirty Derry (38-10-2, 20 KOs) has home advantage at the Echo Arena, the same venue where he lost to WBO champion Terry Flanagan earlier this year.

BoxStat provided a statistical breakdown of the two rivals on Twitter:

The bout is the main support act to Tony Bellew's WBC cruiserweight title defence against BJ Flores.

Also on the card, Ryan Burnett and Ryan Farrag face each other for the British bantamweight belt, while super middleweight Rocky Fielding makes his first appearance since a split-decision win over Christopher Rebrasse back in April.

When: Saturday, October 15, 9:10 p.m. BST (4:10 p.m. ET)

Where: Echo Arena, Liverpool, England

TV: Sky Sports (UK)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK)

Work in Progress

Campbell is talented—there's no doubting that. However, the southpaw still has a few hurdles to clear before he fulfils his obvious potential as a professional.

Like fellow Englishman Anthony Joshua, Campbell became a national hero when he struck gold at the 2012 Olympics in London. Unlike his old team-mate, however, the path to the top in the pros has not run smoothly.

While heavyweight Joshua has blasted his way to 17-0, becoming the IBF champion in the process, Campbell is still working his way up the rankings towards a world-title shot.

To remain on an upward curve he has to prove he can handle Mathews, a tough, experienced foe who aired his doubts about his domestic rival in Matchroom Boxing's press release to announce the bout.

"He was a fantastic amateur but the pro game is different and I don’t think that he’s settled in as a pro as he wanted to," Mathews said.

The Liverpudlian has a point. Campbell has looked good at times, particularly in producing a clinical display against fellow Hull fighter Tommy Coyle in August 2015, but he is yet to completely convince.

Personal issues have, admittedly, not helped the 29-year-old's progress, and he was not at the peak of his powers when suffering a shock points loss to Yvan Mendy at the end of 2015.

He has bounced back since with wins over the now-retired Gary Sykes and Mendez, whose hopes of building on a flash knockdown in Round 2 were hampered by a broken jaw.

Campbell told the Hull Daily Mail he has watched back the Mendez fight in an effort to discover the areas where he should look to improve:

"

I was making a few mistakes technically last time out, just little things but you see them more when you are in with a top level operator like he was.

I'm always striving to be better so it was about working on those little things and improving.

My feet, my balance, my defence, there were some things to work on and that's the areas we've tried to improve this camp.

"

He needs to be a quick learner, too. If offered the slightest window of opportunity, Mathews will barge right through it and do as much damage as possible.

With that in mind, Campbell—who is trained by Jorge Rubio and leaves his family before each fight to undertake his training camp in Florida—faces a test of both his mental and physical abilities on Saturday.

Major Ambitions

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

While Campbell may not have truly revealed himself in the paid ranks just yet, you know exactly what to expect from Mathews.

Dirty Derry has been around since 2003 and has now reached the milestone of 50 pro fights, during which time he has experienced plenty of ups and a fair few downs.

A former British and Commonwealth champion, he wants to win a world title before hanging up his gloves. He has held the interim WBA belt but missed out on the full WBO crown earlier this year.

Defeat to Flanagan could easily have been the end of the road, yet Mathews is back in a British ring again as the underdog (per Odds Shark, he is 7-2 for victory) determined to throw a spanner in the works.

The difference this time is, unlike with Flanagan, Campbell isn't quite so skilled in the darker arts of the sport.

While Mathews may have to give away the odd round to a fighter blessed with fast hands, the 33-year-old will know he can wipe away any deficit on the scorecards with just one punch.

Per Matchroom Boxing, he said:

"

Luke has changed trainers recently and everyone is going on about how fast and quick he looks on the pads with Jorge Rubio—but it doesn’t impress me; pads don’t hit back like I do.

He can have all the speed in the world but he is going to get tagged by me at some stage in the fight and he will be in serious trouble. I can’t wait for Saturday to go out there, get that ‘W’, win the WBC Silver and be knocking on the door for another world title shot.

"

Mathews has put a dent in a rising fighter's reputation before, too.

In 2012, he ended Anthony Crolla's reign as British champion by stopping his domestic rival in Round 6, with their rematch the following year ending in a split-decision draw.

Crolla has since gone on to win a world title at the weight limit—Mathews would like to follow suit.

To have any chance of another crack at a major belt, he needs to find a way to beat Campbell. That desperation, along with his experience and power, could be crucial in the final reckoning.

Prediction

Having fought, and lost, to both men before, Coyle is the ideal candidate to offer a forecast for the fight.

In an interview with Sky Sports News HQ, he said: "To predict the outcome, my head tells me that Campbell out-boxes him, but my heart is telling me different. This is the last-chance saloon for Derry and I have a feeling he will get the stoppage."

The bout could play out a lot like Coyle's meeting with Mathews in 2013. The former was on top, only to be sensationally stopped by the latter in Round 10.

Campbell cannot afford the kind of lapses that saw him dropped by Mendy and Mendez in the past. If he can stay out of trouble for 12 rounds, he can clinch a points triumph that will bolster his boxing CV.

Bleacher Report will provide live coverage of the main fights from Liverpool. Join our blog from 9 p.m. BST (4 p.m. ET) for updates on the action.