Boxing
Luke Campbell says he has not considered retirement after loss to Ryan Garcia
Rewatch Ryan Garcia vs. Luke Campbell on DAZN
Luke Campbell says retirement from boxing has not crossed his mind since Saturday's painful defeat to unbeaten prospect Ryan Garcia, but for now spending time with his family is his only priority.
The London 2012 gold medalist actually dropped Garcia for the first time in the America's career in Dallas, Texas, but "King Ry" recovered from the second-round setback and finished off Campbell with a vicious body shot in Round 7 to win the vacant interim WBC lightweight title.
Campbell told Sky Sports that the mental anguish of coming up short again, following competitive defeats to Jorge Linares and Vasiliy Lomachenko, stung more than the liver-quivering left.
"I'm hurting a little bit," he admitted. "Not physically, but mentally I'm hurting a little bit. It's a real bitter pill to try and swallow.
"I'm used to winning and I have that winning mentality. I dedicate my full craft, my life to be dedicated just to win. When it doesn't go your way it's really sickening. I tick every box every day, to be the best I can be. It's sickening when I don't get that win."
Now 33 and having been stopped for the very first time, Campbell's path to a world title at 135 lb does not look good, with the division occupied not only by Garcia but by unified champion Teofimo Lopez Jr., WBA regular titleholder Gervonta Davis, unbeaten George Kambosos Jr. and more.
Nonetheless, giving up now isn't something he has contemplated.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's not really come into my head about anything," continued Campbell. "Not had any thoughts about anything, apart from just spending some quality time with my family and just enjoying the rest. This fight has been dragging on since April last year.
"Now I just want to switch off and enjoy family time. That's it really."
The Hull fighter told Garcia after the fight it was the hardest he had ever been hit, but he has also admitted the 22-year-old's swift recovery from a great counter left from Campbell in that second round impressed him.
"He surprised me. Once he felt my power, I thought he would want out I didn't think he would want to stay in there, so that element surprised me. Obviously he was quick and he had power in both hands, but there was nothing there until that shot, which I'm devastated about.
"I think he was asleep in mid-air. I think it was the actual fall that woke him up. I was surprised how quick he just recovered from that, because my plan after that is to get straight on him, and I've always been a good finisher.
"Once I can smell blood, I've always taken advantage and gone for it, and got them out of there, but you've got instincts inside the ring and he was back to normal really.
"He didn't really give me the opportunity to jump on him and take advantage of that."
On Garcia's fantastic fight-winning shot, Campbell added: "When you get hit by that shot, when I stepped back I could not breathe, and I couldn't move.
"Forty seconds after that I was still struggling to catch my breath. That's never happened to me before. As he threw that shot, I covered up to the head and he just lifted up my rib cage with that shot. What can I say?"
