The much-discussed showdown between Ryan Garcia (20-0, 17 KOs) and Luke Campbell (20-3, 16 KOs) has been set in stone for Saturday, Dec. 5, in a 12-round fight for the interim WBC lightweight title.
Both California's Garcia and England's Campbell have been keen on making this contest happen for some time, and though the exact venue and undercard are yet to be confirmed, the heavily anticipated meeting of two top lightweight contenders will be streamed live on DAZN in the U.S.
At just 22, Garcia has already put together quite the resume and is on a four-fight knockout streak, winning the last two in the first round.
“I’ve been eagerly waiting to get back in the ring and have been working harder than ever to get here,” said Garcia.
“It’s been a tough year for everyone, but I’m excited to bring the fans an escape for the night… or based on my track record, a few minutes at most.
"Luke’s record speaks for itself, but I’m ready to prove the doubters wrong. This is my era now and December 5th just the start of it.”
Campbell, 33, won gold at bantamweight at the London 2012 Olympic Games as part of Team GB's "golden generation" and brings plenty of professional experience into the fight, with Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jorge Linares serving as two of the only three men to have defeated him thus far.
More important, Campbell remains determined to finally add a world championship as a pro, and the winner of the Dec. 5 fight will be within reach of current WBC titleholder Devin Haney.
“2020 has been an extremely tough year for everyone, so I’m really pleased we can finally get this fight officially on and give the fans something to look forward to,” said Campbell.
“There’s been a lot of talk and he’s clearly a very highly regarded fighter, but I’m going to prove that this is far too much, far too soon and that I’m on a completely different level.
"I’ve fought in America before, so this will be nothing new for myself and my team. Fans or no fans, the one thing I can guarantee is that I will be coming back to the UK with the victory.
"Training hasn’t stopped for me, and I’m going to be in peak condition to show something very special from Luke Campbell on December 5.”
With Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez Jr. doing battle on Oct. 17 to unify every championship in the division except for Haney's, the 135-pound class is poised to finish a year blighted by the COVID-19 pandemic in some style.“This is a great fight in what is probably the hottest division in boxing right now,” said Eddie Hearn, head of Matchroom Sport, who have Campbell on their roster.
“Luke is fearless in the challenges he takes and is ready to score a major victory in December against Ryan Garcia. Luke has been operating at the elite end of the division for a long time, and although Ryan is an exceptional young talent, I truly believe Luke’s pedigree and experience will be too much for him.”
Oscar De La Hoya, chairman and CEO of Golden Boy, added: “For years, the world of boxing has been clamoring for a crossover star who can reach new audiences that have gone untapped for far too long. Ryan Garcia stands at the precipice of doing the same thing at an incredibly young age when he takes on Luke Campbell.
"While transitioning Ryan’s enormous social media following to DAZN viewers is good business for Ryan, Golden Boy and DAZN, it’s more importantly good for the sport of boxing, which needs a shot in the arm right now more than ever.
"For the next months, we are going to work tirelessly with our partners to promote this fight — by far Ryan’s biggest test of his career —which can catapult Ryan’s career to an entire other level."