Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Luke Campbell: Preview and prediction

Luke Campbell has several advantages going into his bout with lightweight phenom Vasiliy Lomachenko. However, the odds are still stacked against him.

Luke Campbell (20-2, 16 KOs) fights current WBO and WBA lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (13-1, 10 KOs) on Saturday, Aug. 31. There are many things favoring Campbell going into this fight, but they don’t matter much because his opponent is Lomachenko who might be the most talented pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Campbell is a very talented fighter and is championship caliber. He possesses a rich amateur background which includes a gold medal from the 2012 Olympic games. Campbell has two losses on his record, but they were close split-decisions. He avenged his loss to Yvan Mendy in 2018 by unanimous decision.

Physically, Campbell is taller and has a longer reach than Lomachenko. At 5-foot-9, Cambell is 2 inches taller than Lomachenko. He also has nearly a 6-inch reach advantage over Lomachenko. Lomachenko is a quick, elusive southpaw, but Campbell is also a southpaw which levels the playing field a bit.

Campbell has the added benefit of a home-crowd advantage. He’s a British boxer fighting at London’s O2 Arena. In most cases, a fighter with Campbell’s experience, talent, and benefits would be a heavy betting favorite on fight night, but that’s not the case here.

According to the Sportsbook Review, Cambell is a 9-1 underdog on betting lines by most brokerages. Lomachenko’s achievements and stellar ability eclipse Campbell’s physicality and accomplishments.

Lomachenko’s skills are uncanny. He has a loss on his record, but that came in his second professional contest, and he was already fighting for a world title despite never going beyond four rounds in his boxing career.

Campbell’s gold medal at the 2012 Olympics is eye-catching, but Lomachenko has two gold medals of his own from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. He also has two amateur world titles. Campbell has zero.

Campbell fights using a typical European style. His punches are straight, and he’s a methodical boxer. Lomachenko’s style is one all his own. His lateral quickness, precise footwork, and flashing fists allow him to do things in the ring that no one else can.

Campbell is a good boxer, but he’s too sedentary to beat Lomachenko. He should prove to be an easy target for Lomachenko to hit because he’s flatfooted at times. Campbell will try to keep Lomachenko away with his long jab, but his hands aren’t fast enough to make Lomachenko pay for attacking.

The first round or two might be quiet, but Lomachenko is learning how to pace himself in fights. From round 3 onward, he will increase his pressure and punch count and will break Campbell down gradually as he did with Jorge Linares in 2018.

Going 12 rounds with Lomachenko would be a victory for Campbell, but Campbell’s style is perfect for Lomachenko. That spells doom for Campbell’s chances of ending the fight on his feet. Lomachenko will avoid Campbell’s best punches with upper body movement and will counter to Campbell’s body. When Campbell tries to defend his body, Lomachenko will mix in blows to the head. Look for Lomachenko’s assault to get the better of Campbell in round 10 by TKO.

Regardless of the outcome, Lomachenko vs. Campbell should provide fight fans with high-level boxing. You can catch the matchup on Saturday, Aug. 24 starting at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+.