LUKE CAMPBELL will dive headfirst into school books and dirty nappies before deciding on his boxing future.
The 33-year-old dad of three had his third world title tilt derailed in Texas on Saturday when US lightweight sensation Ryan Garcia stopped him with a stunning body shot.
Luke Campbell was defeated by Ryan Garcia – but retirement talk will waitCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Olympic 2012 hero Campbell returned to Hull to help wife Lynsey feed and change baby Levi and tutor primary schoolboys Leo and Lincoln.
And he will use the hectic lockdown weeks to decide whether he continues his quest to land an elite championship, or retires as a highly respected nearly man.
Campbell said: “My dream is still to be a world champion but, right now, I need to try to enjoy some family time and look at everything in a few months.
“I don’t want to make any rash decisions.
“I was so excited to get home and see my boys. I don’t want to have boxing on my mind for a while.
“I am going to take some breathing space and coming home to another lockdown, home schooling, now means boxing will not even be able to get back on my mind for a while.
“The home schooling didn’t go down too well last time — my boys laughed when I told them what GCSEs I got.
“But I love changing nappies and helping with bottles. Being a dad is everything to me, it’s the best job in the world.”
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Outside of the ring, Campbell is a doting fatherCredit: https://www.instagram.com/luke11campbell/
Campbell lost to three-weight world champ Jorge Linares in 2017 and to Ukrainian great Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2019.
If wonderkid Garcia, 22, goes on to fulfil his frightening potential, Campbell could own one of the most star-studded CVs of his era — without a belt to crown it with.
Retirement now would put him in a celebrated but heartbreaking club of Brit greats who never ruled the world, alongside the likes of Herol Graham, Colin Jones, Michael Watson and Alan Rudkin.
And Campbell appears to be slowly edging toward accepting the idea.
He said: “Even though I don’t have a world title, I think I’m an elite fighter.
“I’d hate to have been a world champion that people thought was handed a belt and was a fraud. I think I’d hate that even more than the position I am in now.”
Campbell as defeated by Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2019Credit: Reuters
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
