By Tom Degun

January 8 - Britain's European bantamweight champion Luke Campbell (pictured) has headed today  to Los Angeles to work alongside Freddie Roach, the world's best known trainer, at his famous Wild Card Gym as part of his preparations for the London 2012 Olympics.



Speaking at Rooney’s Boxing Gym in London - where he dropped by to see Britain's former head coach Terry Edwards before heading to Heathrow - Campbell said: "It's going to be a once in the lifetime experience.

"LA’s a great place but going to Freddie Roach’s gym will be something extra special."

Roach is widely considered to be the best trainer in world and is the trainer of Britain’s 2004 Olympic silver medallist and WBA world light-welterweight champion Amir Khan as well as the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet Manny Pacquiao, the WBC World lightweight champion.

Campbell said: "Freddie is the best coach pro coach in the world.

"Hopefully I'll learn something new, something different to take back with us.

"It’s going to be a great learning experience.

"He has so many champions in his gym.

"It'll be interesting to train alongside them and hopefully I’ll pick up a few of the techniques they’re doing."

Luke, a two-time ABA Champion from Hull, made history by becoming the first British amateur boxer to secure a European title for 47 years,when he won bantamweight title at the European Championships in Liverpool in November 2008, defeating Bulgarian Detelin Dalakliev.

The last Briton to win a European gold medal before Campbell was Frankie Taylor, who won the Featherweight  title in Belgrade in 1961.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
November 2009:
 Campbell backs himself to win medal at London 2012
September 2009: McGuigan backs Britain's boxers to come good at London 2012
November 2008: Historic victory for Campbell in Liverpool