Wednesday 28 August 2019 17:19, UK
Vasiliy Lomachenko is renowned as the world's finest fighter, but could there be a few lingering concerns about the Ukrainian star ahead of the Luke Campbell fight?
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The three-weight world champion takes on Campbell for the WBA 'super', WBC, WBO lightweight titles at The O2 on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office, as Lomachenko attempts to cement his status as the pound-for-pound best boxer on the planet.
Recurrent injuries have hampered the 31-year-old as he dislocated the knuckle on his right hand in an April knockout win over Anthony Crolla, while he underwent surgery on a tear in his right shoulder following a punishing stoppage of Jorge Linares last May.
The Sky Sports panel debate whether any underlying fitness problems or the superior physical size of Campbell could be a factor in their world title fight...
We're going to need an all-time best performance from Luke Campbell and, without taking anything away from Luke Campbell, we are going to need a below-par performance from Lomachenko.
He needs to be super fit and busy, but not reckless.
Hand injuries come and go - Joe Calzaghe got through his whole career with bad hands, and I have had a couple of bad injuries. I broke my hand and had it repaired twice. A hand, not so bad, you strap it up, but if you compound the shoulder injury with the hand niggle, and if he's not on par against a bigger Luke Campbell, there is definitely a formula for Luke Campbell to do the job.
But he needs to do what I said - keep it long, use his height and reach. He needs to be super fit and busy, but not reckless.
On paper, Luke Campbell looks like he should give Lomachenko a good run for his money, but I personally think, once Lomachenko figures out the puzzle in front of him, he will step up a gear.
We want the Luke Campbell that goes in there completely confident, full of self-belief, and he needs a career-best performance to beat Lomachenko.
Lomachenko is willing to come over to England to box a guy, who is two inches taller, the same age. On paper, Luke Campbell looks like he should give Lomachenko a good run for his money, but I personally think, once Lomachenko figures out the puzzle in front of him, he will step up a gear.
Even Luke Campbell would know he's getting in there with a supreme fighter, but he's going to go in there and give it his best, hoping this is not Lomachenko's day. He has a bad day at the office, we have seen it before, and he makes some mistakes.
For me, Lomachenko is an absolute great. I love him, he's one of my favourite fighters to watch. The only things that could possibly stop him from achieving even more is these injuries that seem to keep cropping up. He's also going up through the weights and there could be a ceiling when he hits a weight that could be just too much.
Whether you are winning, losing, looking great or not, there are always things that will restrict you to an extent.
When you get older, the injuries that you get take longer to recover and have more of an impact on mobility. His mobility is a massive thing. Whether you are winning, losing, looking great or not, there are always things that will restrict you to an extent.
I think Campbell is going to give him a problem for about five rounds, because Luke has got that good amateur brain as well, but Lomachenko has got a genius brain, and that's difference. After five rounds, I think Lomachenko figures him out and starts dissecting him.
This is a great time to box Lomachenko. He has had a few injuries - he broke his knuckle in his last fight and that was not very long ago.
Lomachenko has been put over by Jorge Linares, there are vulnerabilities. You do not pin your hopes of these things, but this fight is not an impossible task.
Watch Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Luke Campbell, Charlie Edwards' world title defence and Hughie Fury vs Alexander Povetkin at The O2 on August 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
