European Champ Luke Campbell To Face Ray Vargas At World Championships In Milan

Posted on | August 31, 2009 | No Comments

For immediate release

Milan & London, Monday 31st August 2009

PHOTO BY:Gianluca (Rio) Di Caro

European Amateur Boxing Champion Luke Campbell has drawn Mexico’s Ray Vargas in the first round of the amateur World Championships which starts on the 1st September in Milan, Italy.

Campbell, a two-time ABA Champion, was crowned European Bantamweight (54kg) Champion at the European Championships in Liverpool last November. His path to glory was not an easy one. In the quarterfinal he faced and defeated the Moldovan Olympic bronze medal winner, Veaceslav Gojan, before progressing to the final after an excellent 4-1 points victory over Germany’s Denis Makarov. Even more impressive was that this was his event debut.

The quietly spoken 21 year old from Hull then made history by becoming the first British boxer to win a European gold medal for 47 years following his magnificent defeat of the highly experienced Bulgarian Detelin Dalakliev to secure the Bantamweight (54kg) title.

The last English boxer to win a European gold medal was Frankie Taylor, who won the Featherweight (57kg) title at the Belgrade Games, Yugoslavia in June 1961, also at the same event Melbourne Olympic Champion, Scotland’s Dick McTaggart, won gold in the (Lightweight) 60kg class.

After learning that Mexico’s Vargas was to be his first round opponent Campbell said, “I don’t know anything about him (Ray Vargas). I’m sure he’s a top class fighter.

This is my first World Championships and I understand it’s all about learning and helping me prepare for the 2012 Olympics, so I’m going to go out there, do my best, and enjoy every minute of it.”

Luke Campbell along with fellow British team mates Tommy Stubbs, Khalid Yafai, Andrew Selby, Thomas Stalker, Scott Cardle and Steve Simmons will be competing at the World Championships in Milan, Italy, 1st-12th September 2009.