Serious beef - that’s Campbell v Stewart at the Excelsior Club

Nick Campbell…heavy flying the flag for Scotland

NICK Campbell is going in to battle for Scotland against Britain’s heaviest fighter on St Andrew’s Night, writes Matt Bozeat.
The Ken Buchanan Cup will be at stake when fighters from Scotland and England meet in four fights in Cannock on Thursday, November 30, at Scott Murray’s Excelsior Sporting Club dinner show.
Top of the bill is Campbell’s clash with Hosea Stewart, a former Great Britain amateur champion from Wolverhampton who weighed a colossal 24 stones for his last fight.
“It’s a big night for a Scotsman and this is a big fight for me,” said the Scottish heavyweight champion.
“Every time I fight I represent Scotland and the fact he’s English, I’m Scottish and we are fighting on St Andrew’s Night takes the pride and passion up a level.
“He is a serious challenge. He is a big, strong man who’s looking to get his career back on track.
“He is the biggest man I have ever faced. But I’m a big man myself and have done a lot of rounds with Martin Bakole who is a world-class big man. He weighed in at 300lbs in his last fight.
“I’m not doing anything I’m not comfortable with.”
Though the show is in England, Campbell says he has an ally in the promoter.
Scott Murray’s late father was Scottish and Campbell says he is “a Scot at heart”. Murray stayed in touch with Campbell after he boxed at his Bar Sport venue in November, 2019, losing to Delicious Orie, who is heading to next year’s Olympics.
Campbell, who has returned to amateur coach Jamie Cunningham and has ex-pro Stewart Burt involved as well after splitting from Billy Nelson, is aware the list of top Scottish heavyweights is a short one.
Ken Shaw lost a final eliminator for the British eliminator in 1948 and it was 67 years until Scottish fans had another heavyweight in contention, Gary Cornish losing in a round to Anthony Joshua for the vacant Commonwealth belt.
The Scottish title went uncontested for more than 70 years before Campbell stopped Jay McFarlane for the vacant belt in Glasgow last February and the 33-year-old “Glasgow Warrior” says he’s aiming higher.
“We are called prizefighters because we fight for money,” he said, “but I want to put my name in the history books.
“I want to have achievements I can look back on and be proud of and maybe influence people who want a career change.”
Campbell had a career change.
“I played professional rugby for eight years from the ages of 19 to 27,” he said.
“I travelled around the world playing for Scotland at under-16, under-18 and under-20 level, but I always had a passion for boxing and at the end of my last rugby contract I decided to give it a go.
“I won the Scottish Intermediate Novices and went on to fight for Scotland around the world.
“If I was Joe Bloggs coming off the street trying to box it would have been very tough, but I came from a professional sport background. I have been training seriously since I was 15 years old. 
“Every time I have fought it’s been a step further than anyone ever thought I would get.”
Campbell says he’s ready to produce a career-best performance after spending three weeks in camp with Tyson Fury and Joseph Parker.
“I went to spar Joe and ended up doing a few rounds with Tyson,” he said.    
 “That was unbelievable to be there in a world-class environment. I think I learned more in three weeks there than I learned in the rest of my career.”

Poster for the big night at the Excelsior