SCOTTISH Heavyweight Champion Nick Campbell is set for his eighth professional fight later this month – and is training with a former World Middleweight Champion in the build-up.
In a bout dubbed ‘Battle of the Giants’, the former Jersey Reds rugby star turned boxer is due to take on Hosea Stewart on 30 November in Staffordshire.
And Campbell, who recently was part of Tyson Fury’s training camp for his heavyweight clash with Francis Ngannou, has enlisted the help of Fury’s cousin and former World Champion Andy Lee in preparation for the fight.
The Glasgow Warrior, who splits his training time between Jersey and the UK, said that he hopes the bout with Stewart will be the launchpad for a “big 2024”.
“It’s a big challenge. The boy Hosea Stewart is a big man,” he said.
“It’ll be a tough fight but it is the right fight for me. I am at a bit of a crossroads in my career and I need to start to kick on and get those wins under my belt.
“Really from this point I am giving myself a year and looking to get three or four big fights in that time. I am in a great environment at the moment with good people around me both on and off Island who are pushing me in the right direction.
“This is a big first step towards hopefully a big 2024. We’ll see where we are at the end of that year and who we are ready to take on because I want to be in a position to really take a step up.”
Stewart has a professional record of two wins, two draws and one loss and weighed in for his last fight at more than 20 stone.
The bout is also a Battle of Britain with Scottish-born Campbell and Englishman Stewart clashing on St Andrew’s Night.
“It should be a fantastic night – it’s St Andrew’s Night and it’s England v Scotland,” Campbell added.
“Everybody who has seen me fight knows that I have the Scottish and Jersey flags on my shorts. The Island is a massive part of who I am and as much as I am the Glasgow Warrior I will be fighting as much for Jersey as for Scotland. There is a decent contingent from Jersey coming over so I am really looking forward to it.”
Campbell, who has lost once in his seven-fight career, had been due to return to action against Czechia’s Jiri Surmaj in September but his opponent pulled out at short notice.
But in the meantime he has been learning from some of the best heavyweight boxing has to offer, with an exhibition bout against one of the World Boxing Association’s top-ranked heavyweights Martin Bakole before being part of Fury’s and former World Champion Joseph Parker’s training camp.
“The other bit of exciting news was Andy Lee – who is a cousin of Tyson Fury and Joseph Parker’s trainer – is going to train me in the build-up to this fight,” Campbell said.
“Getting a chance to train with someone like him is a huge opportunity. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself about how lucky I have been in my boxing journey so far – some of the opportunities I have had and people I have met have been incredible – the fact that someone like Andy Lee is willing to give up his time to train me is a huge advantage and gives me the winning edge.”
Campbell v Stewart is set to take place at the Excelsior Sporting Club.
