Boxing pro Campbell a ‘proud Jersey Scot’

Boxing. Former Jersey Reds rugby player Nick Campbell (left) won his debut fight as a professional boxer live on Sky Sports. 10 April 2021 Picture: DAVE THOMPSON/MATCHROOM BOXING

The former Jersey Reds rugby player put away Czech heavyweight Petr Frohlich in just two rounds at London’s Copper Box Arena on Saturday night, with the referee intervening to stop the one-sided bout.

Campbell, originally from Scotland but now an Island resident, said that appearing on the undercard of the WBA continental welterweight clash between Conor Benn and Samuel Vargas had been a huge learning experience for him.

‘It doesn’t really get any bigger than that for your debut,’ he said. ‘The whole week I was in the bubble with other fighters and then [world-renowned promoter] Eddie Hearn is walking past you. It was a bit surreal.

‘I backed myself to go in there and get him [Frohlich] out of there. But I come from a respectful and humble sport where trash-talking isn’t really a thing, so I just wanted to go in there and let my fighting do the talking. I had decent feedback from Eddie Hearn after the fight. So yes, it was a pretty successful debut.’

He added: ‘I was really happy with the way I put punches together. The combinations I’d been working on seemed to come off. When I get an opportunity to go on a stage like that it’s about learning to deal with the pressures, getting used to being in that environment and then performing in that environment. It was pretty surreal – the graphics on the screen behind the stage, when you’re doing your walk and there’s a big 20-foot version of you on a poster up on the wall. It is the show business end of the sport. I’m just so happy I repaid the faith of my manager Mark Dunlop, Eddie Hearn and everyone else who backed me by putting in a performance.’

Campbell said he would love to box professionally in front of a home crowd in Jersey, or in his native Scotland.

‘That would be one of the dreams,’ he added. ‘I am proud Scotsman, and a Jersey Scot now so it would be great to fight somewhere in Scotland and it would be equally as amazing if I could fight somewhere in Jersey.

‘There are big things happening on the Island with the Strive facility being set up and talk about a stadium. Things seem to be moving in the right direction when it comes to sport in Jersey, so if I can keep performing in the ring, who knows what might happen.’

Full story in Tuesday’s JEP.

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