This Saturday sees the return of local heroes Tommy Coyle and Luke Campbell to Hull’s Ice Arena, in fights which are seen as the toughest tests for the pairs yet.
Coyle headlines the show, titled ‘Point of No Return’, in a matchup with Aussie veteran and ex-interim WBO world champion Michael Katsidis. The vast majority of pundits expect a war between the two, with both renowned for their aggressive pressing styles. Of course, Katsidis may not be the fighter who destroyed Kevin Mitchell at Upton Park in 2010, but he will undoubtedly provide the comparatively inexperienced Coyle with his toughest test yet.
I am yet to be impressed by Coyle. His record is pretty mediocre, standing at 19-1-2, and he was defeated by his only opponent of real note, Derry Matthews. His fans will point to his brutal victory over Daniel Brizuela in February- but it is worth remembering that Coyle showed a remarkable susceptibility to shots to the body throughout that fight, crumpling to the ground in agony on four occasions. Coming in to the fight, Brizuela wasn’t renowned for his punching power- Katsidis, on the other hand, is. A body blow from the Aussie may leave Coyle in too much pain to drag himself up off the canvas in a similar vein this time. I predict a Katsidis KO, although I hope I’m wrong.
Olympic gold medallist Campbell fights the very man who exploited Coyle’s weaknesses back in February. Despite losing, Brizuela impressed many with his skill and determination, and comes back to Hull in search of a form of revenge against the new kid on the block. This fight definitely sees Campbell step up in class, after breezing through the initial stages of his pro career, and should provide a stern test as he attempts to make his way up the lightweight rankings. Brizuela will certainly come to win, and this provides a difference from some of Campbell’s previous eight pro opponents who, by his own admission, could be accused of ‘running and hiding’.
Will this bring out a better boxer and performance? I think so. There is a case to be made for a Campbell KO in the later rounds of the fight, if Brizuela’s stamina dwindles in a similar fashion to his performance in February. I expect a victory from him, regardless.
Finally, a word of note to Gavin Mcdonnell, who comes up against Vusi Malinga. Mcdonnell is still relatively new to the game, unbeaten in 11 bouts, but personally handpicked Malinga as his next opponent after watching him fight for the IBF world title against Darlington’s Stuart Hall. Fighting a vastly more experienced boxer of Malinga’s calibre seems like a disastrous move from the outset, and one which even promoter Eddie Hearn has distanced himself from. However, one can’t help admire Mcdonnell’s guts- to have the bottle to step up to such a daunting task says a lot about him, and I will be rooting for him come Saturday.
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