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Birmingham middleweight Matthew Macklin looks to start a new chapter in his life at the National Stadium in Dublin, Ireland tonight when he tackles the battle tested, but now considerably past his best, former IBF Light Middleweight king “Yory Boy” Campas.
For Macklin, 20-2 (16), the bout will be his first with new trainer Buddy McGirt in his corner, after a split from long time mentor Billy “The Preacher” Graham at the end of 2007.
“Iʼve really enjoyed working with Buddy and being out in Florida was a great experience,” Macklin said via press release this week. “It was just what I needed for this fight. I learned a lot from my time with Billy but felt it was the right time to move on. I need to get back to using my boxing skills a bit more and I think Buddy is the perfect trainer for that.”
25 year old Macklin, who despite being a Brummie, fights for the Emerald Isle due to his Irish parentage, is best known to most boxing fans as the man who engaged in a thrilling toe to toe war when challenging for the British 154 pound crown against Jamie Moore in September 2006.
That night, at the George Carnall Leisure Centre in Manchester, both men gave their all as they continually rained blows on each other for ten rounds until Salford southpaw Moore landed two cracking rights, punctuated by a flush left that dropped Macklin face first to the canvas.
It was one of the greatest British fights in recent memory and deserves to be remembered in the way that Benn vs. Eubank and Lewis vs. Bruno will be. Unfortunately, due to it being aired only to hardcore boxing fans on a subscription network (Sky Sports), that seems unlikely.
The 2001 ABA welterweight champion and former law student believes that, against best his intentions, he could be dragged into a slugfest again this evening.
“Ideally Iʼd like to try and outbox him [Campas] because thatʼs why Iʼve started working with Buddy McGirt as my new trainer but I know there may come a point where all that goes out of the window and we just stand toe to toe,” Macklin admitted. “Part of me even wants that to happen because those are the kind of fights you can make your name in, but I know Buddy will be trying to keep me very disciplined in the corner.”
At 36 and with 101 pro fights under his belt, Campas may be far past the level that once saw him compete with the likes of Felix Trinidad, Fernando Vargas and Oscar De La Hoya, but heʼs still dangerous, as anyone who witnessed him giving another Irishman, John Duddy, life and death a couple of years ago will testify.
In his last outing ,Campas was stopped in seven rounds by Finnish former European champion Amin Asikainen. The Mexican was not put down but was forced against the ropes and hit with a barrage of shots before the referee intervened. It was the first time heʼd been halted since De La Hoya turned the trick nearly five years ago.
Victory for Macklin could lead to an all Irish clash John Duddy or a possible challenge for fellow Brummie Wayne Elcockʼs Lonsdale belt, while an unluckly win for Campas would just serve as another excuse for him to box another day.
Verdict: It wonʼt all be plane sailing for the Irish Brummie but I see him being in control for the most part and coming away with a wide and unanimous decision.
