Huge heavyweights Nick Campbell and Steve Robinson clash on Saturday night live on Sky Sports; Campbell reveals how training with Tyson Fury has prepared him for this "all or nothing" fight; "Fury doesn't have a give up button. I'm coming to win by any means necessary," Campbell said
Friday 16 December 2022 12:18, UK
Two towering heavyweights will collide when Scotland’s Nick Campbell takes on England’s Steve Robinson on the Chris Billam-Smith vs Armend Xhoxhaj in Bournemouth on Saturday night.
At six foot seven inches tall, both are big men and Campbell knows that Robinson is dangerous.
"If you land on somebody's chin and you're that size and weight, there's a good chance they're going to sleep. I've got a lot of respect for him," Campbell said.
"It's probably a fight he didn't need to take, it's probably a fight I didn't need to take. But at the end of the day if you're going to be on a platform like Sky Sports, you've got to be giving the fans 50-50 fights. I think it's a good challenge for both of us. The winner takes it all."
A loss for either man at this stage of their careers would be a major setback.
"I'm coming to win whatever it takes, by any means necessary. Whether that is a stoppage, it's a stoppage, whether that means a points decision, it's a points decision," Campbell told Sky Sports.
"I'm coming for any eventuality, whatever it takes."
Robinson suffered an upset loss to Shane Gill earlier this year, but Campbell will not allow himself to become over-confident.
"I think anybody's beatable, if you come in with the right gameplan," he said. "Shane Gill was tough, came forward, had a go and upset Steve out of his rhythm. It is what it is.
"I don't really read too much into it because it was months ago, the big man's had a lot of time to reflect on that and I'm sure he's changed up things in camp. I'm expecting the best Steve Robinson on Saturday night.
"Everybody's got a puncher's chance at heavyweight. You need to be switched on from the first bell to the last bell, from the first punch to the last punch."
Although Campbell is an unbeaten 5-0 and the first Scottish heavyweight champion in 71 years, he was criticised when he struggled at times to overcome Jay MacFarlane in his last fight.
"I got some, I felt, unfair comments after that fight so I'm looking to prove a lot of people wrong on Saturday night. Prove myself where I need to be," he said.
"It was obviously an honour to be the first person in 71 years to win the belt. Like I say, I'm just looking to go in there, put on a clinical performance and prove the doubters wrong."
For this fight he has trained in Tyson Fury's gym when sparring with Joseph Parker. He had Fury in his corner for some of those spars and body-sparred with the WBC champion too.
He has taken invaluable lessons from that experience.
"That also gave me confidence that I can go in and give these guys work," Campbell said. "I was delighted to be involved in a world-class environment.
"Everybody's constantly pushing themselves each day to kind of get the best out of one another. The fact that Tyson was there for part of the camp, doing my corner in sparring, was a bit surreal."
Fury was giving him advice. "The biggest thing I took from Tyson was his mindset and mentality. He's got the mindset where if you do 10 press-ups, he's going to do 11, if you do 10 rounds, he's going to do 11 rounds. He always wants to be the best, he always wants to do whatever it takes to be number one," Campbell revealed.
"Whatever you do, don't give up because he tries to push everybody and break you, and see what you're made of.
"You can really see that in his mentality in training, so that's one of the biggest things I took from it. His mindset, the way he trains and the way he goes about his business. I can understand how he managed to get off the deck three times against [Deontay] Wilder. He doesn't have a 'give up' button. It's just all or nothing and he wants to be the best.
"If you want to get anywhere, you've got to work hard and you've got to want to be the best."
Nick Campbell boxes Steve Robinson on the Chris Billam-Smith vs Armend Xhoxhaj undercard live on Sky Sports Mix from 7pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 7.30pm on Saturday December 17
