Campbell – a likeable 22 year old from Hull – recently picked up the prestigious Ken Jones Amateur Boxer of the Year award at the Boxing Writers' Association awards dinner at the Millennium Hotel in London last month.

 

The award was presented to Campbell largely in recognition of his achievement to be crowned the first British boxer to become the European champion since 1961 which he did at last year's European Championships in Liverpool.
 

The bantamweight from St Paul's Amateur Boxing Club in Hull, who is also a double ABA champion, hopes to emulate the success of last year’s award winner, Olympic gold medallist James DeGale, by achieving Olympic glory in London.

Campbell said: "It's my dream to win a medal in London and I definitely think that at my best, I am capable doing just that in 2012.

"Right now, the Olympics seem a long way off for me but I just have to work hard, do the best I can and see what happens but London 2012 is obviously a massive goal for me.

"It was a huge honour to win the award considering some of the guys who have won it before me [such as DeGale] and it gives you confidence that those guys with a huge knowledge of the sport [the boxing writers] believe in you."

Upon receiving his award, Campbell , who currently trains in Sheffield as part of the British podium squad, made a point of thanking his former mentor Terry Edwards.
 

Edwards, British Boxing’s former head coach, oversaw the country's most successful Olympic programme for more than half-a-century when the team won three medals at Beijing last year.

However, he did not have his contract renewed after Beijing.
 

Campbell said: "We met up at the awards and as we haven't seen each other in a while I thought it would be nice to spend some time with Terry while I am in London.

"We had a cup of tea together the next day and I saw his family again who I get on with really well so that was great.

"Terry did a lot for me and I would never hesitate to call him up for advice about anything and I am glad he is doing okay.
 

"But I just have to keep working hard on my training, keep learning and improving everyday."

Campbell is currently shaking off a tendon injury on his knuckle that he picked up at a training camp in Kazakhstan in March this year which means he is unable to do any punch work and must stick largely to cardiovascular exercises such as running.
 

He said: "I've had to carry on fighting with a split tendon all the way until now because I've been busy.

 

"I've only just had the operation to repair it and it was quite a serious operation but I’m hoping to be hitting on it again in January."

But for Campbell, the London Olympics remain the ultimate goal and as perhaps Britain’s most likely source of a medal hel said he is ready to deal with the pressure that comes with huge expectation.
 

He said: "There is obviously pressure on me, especially after winning the award, but boxing is what I want to do and you have to learn to deal with the pressure that comes with that.
 

"You have to go and fight the best kids around the world and there comes a great pressure in that too but you have to see it as a positive rather than a negative and most importantly, you just have to keep working hard because that is what produces the results."

 

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