The are very few fighters from the Iberian Peninsula that get any recognition on the world stage as a matter of fact only Javier Castillejo and Kiko Martinez spring to mind immediately. I bring up Campillo because this was his road warrior year and I think he deserves some credit for what he has acheived.
In March he went to Denmark and fought Lolenga Mock a guy who has been
fighting for minor league titles since 2004 with some success. Campillo stuck to his guns and came out with unanimous decision.
In June he moved back up to Light Heavy a weight he hadn't fought at since. 2007 he went to Argentina to fight ring rated Hugo Garay in his backyard. By
the skin of his teeth (more specifically a 10-10 round) he was able to snatch away the title.
In August just two months later he made his first defense against one the most promising prospects in the Light Heavy division Beibut Shumenov an olympian who had the home field advantage in Khazakstan. Although Shumenov only had 8 pro fights he had fought against a wealth of experience in with the likes of Montell Griffin, Epi Mendoza and Byron Mitchell. Even with the questionable judges scorecards Campillo walked away victorious again with his second MD of 2009.
A pound for pound fighter? Definately not, but someone who has tested their grit on the road? For sure.
I give respect for Campillo and hope that he continues to get fights in 2010 with names like Yusaf Mack, Nathan Cleverly and a possible rematch with Karo Murat, there are plenty of international opportunities.
