Campbell moves step closer to world title fight

Luke Campbell has moved a step closer to a world title fight after winning his lightweight eliminator against Darleys Perez last night at Wembley.

The Hull boxer defeated Colombia's Perez in nine rounds to move closer to a shot at WBA lightweight champion Jorge Linares.

The Olympic gold medallist, whose fight was watched from ringside by Venezuela's Linares, secured the finest win of his career by appearing to win all but the first of the full eight rounds of the title eliminator until Perez withdrew in the ninth.

His superior skill-set and natural power had gradually built a convincing lead as he landed to both head and body, and from the eighth round Perez became increasingly uncomfortable.

Wearing the look of a fighter being worn down and unable to stop the flow of Campbell's attacks, in the ninth he complained to referee Steve Gray he had injured his left arm before attempting to fight on.

He did so with little conviction, and as Campbell applied further pressure, Gray intervened and waved the fight over after one minute and 28 seconds of that round.