Local lightweight rivals to set up Hull showdown
Friday 24 October 2014 16:33, UK
Glenn McCrory will be ringside at the Hull Arena and predicts Luke Campbell and Tommy Coyle to set up their showdown. Just...
It's always good to see one of the Olympians in action, but I have a feeling Luke Campbell might well be overshadowed on Saturday.
The fight of the night looks like being Tommy Coyle against a name we all know, Michael Katsidis. For a start they are both exciting fighters.
Tommy is on the way up and has entertained us recently while Katsidis has boxed at the top level but at 34 and with so many wars under his belt, his best days are behind him.
The Australian might be looking at recapturing his form but it was four years ago when he took on Juan Manuel Marquez and six since he took Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz all the way.
I do think he was world-title quality. Had he challenged anyone slightly worse than him, he would've been a champion. I am sure some of us think that Katsidis actually did, given his fights and his wins, but sadly that's not the case.
This is the last chance saloon and the one thing we all want to see is just what has Katsidis got left. I have a feeling he is going to do what he does best and just try and blow Coyle away because usually the last thing left is those big, big shots.
The simple fact is both of these desperately need to win this. Coyle has the Campbell fight in line if he comes through this and if Katsidis loses, he is probably finished.
Coyle is improving but he does make mistakes and I am sure Jamie Moore is trying to get him to use his head more, not just charge in and go hell for leather, like he did against Daniel Brizuela. That loss to Derry Mathews was great to watch but it was a big step back for Coyle and the way he has bounced back shows he has a great spirit.
I have a feeling that when Tommy gets hit, he will revert to type and it will be a cracking, cracking scrap. As for who wins, it really could be a pick'em.
He is only 25 and is great to watch - from an entertaining aspect, maybe not technical - and we really want to see him step up. Katsidis though is, or certainly has been, a better fighter.
They might well start off cautiously and I do actually think Coyle is going to try and out-box him, give him a lesson but who says Katsidis doesn't try and do the same?
The simple fact is both of these desperately need to win. Coyle has the Campbell fight in the pipeline if he comes through this and if Katsidis loses, he is probably finished.
I wouldn't be surprised if Katsidis has one last hurrah and stops him but I have a feeling Coyle is going to get through this and set up that showdown with Campbell. But we might be shocked to see him take it on points.
As for Luke Campell, I have a feeling Brizuela is absolutely made to measure for him and we will see just how good he is. He will look a million dollars as well.
We want Campbell to get a real test but the fact that he is facing a guy that Coyle floored four times and then stopped, suggests that this will be too easy for the Olympian. Brizuela is game, that’s for sure, but I can just see him walking into all sorts of problems.
He was very easy to hit and I think it is perfect for Campbell to pick him off and pull him apart inside three or four rounds. Yes there is pressure on Luke but he is sharp and smart. And he will set up that Coyle showdown...
Watch Campbell-Brizuela and Coyle-Katsidis live from 7.30pm, Saturday, Sky Sports 2
