Just a few days before the fight of Olympic Champion and WBA lightweight title contender, Luke Campbell, the boxing coach Michael Kozlowski was hired to lead his coaching team.

Posted on 07. May, 2018 by BoxingCoachMike in News

Michael Kozlowski, who local boxers and trainers have respectfully nicknamed, “Coach Mike,” has been working with fighters in New York for the past 20 years. He left his home on short notice traveling to England to prepare Campbell for his professional fight in London.

Coach Mike first began working with an English boxer, Luke Campbell, more than ten years ago. Due to significant changes and additions to his technique and footwork, as well the strong and disciplined mentality of the Russian-American coach, Luke Campbell won gold medals at both the 2008 European Championships in and the 2012 Olympic London Olympics. Luke Campbell, along with the coaching support of the boxing trainer, Michael Kozlowski, then successfully began his professional career!

More than three years ago, “Coach Mike” stopped collaborating with Luke Campbell. The English boxer was no longer listening to the teachings and using the technique of his Russian-American mentor. The result was Campbell’s first two professional losses in the ring. After the second defeat which came at the hands of WBA lightweight champion Jorge Linares, Luke Campbell returned to New York to ask Coach Mike if they could resume their joint work and Coach Mike agreed.

Just five weeks before his next professional fight, Luke Campbell invited Coach Mike to his training camp in England. After a week of work and seeing a disorganized and primitive training process, Coach Mike issued an ultimatum telling Campbell that if he did not let him lead the training camp and organize the entire training process, he would leave and return home to New York.

The English boxer agreed with the terms of the Russian-American coach and promised Coach Mike that the Cuban coach, George Rubio, with whom Luke Campbell had worked the previous two years, would not be involved in the training process at all and would only participate in accordance with the work plan of Michael Kozlowski that limited him to wrapping Luke’s hands and working with mitts. The majority of time was spent in accordance to the plan and dictation of the Russian-American specialist.

Much attention was paid to the restoration of the technique and footwork of Campbell, which the Olympic champion had significantly lost during the break with the Russian-American boxing coach. Campbell quickly made up for lost time and his punches became faster and more powerful! Luke also improved his movement and keeping his boxing distance.

Coming as quite a shock to Coach Mike, one week before the fight in London, Luke Campbell appointed George Rubio head coach in the ring despite the fact that Kozlowski had led his entire training camp. To further complicate the situation, the night before the weigh-in, Rubio disappeared from the training base in London only to reappear just a few hours before the actual weigh-in. When asked where he had disappeared to, Rubio informed the team that he was visiting a friend who was celebrating his birthday. Luke Campbell had to again rely on Coach Mike to takeover leadership of his team.

Luke Campbell with Troy James from Olesya on Vimeo.

At the weigh-in, Luke Campbell met his target weight while his opponent was 10 pounds heavier.

Final preparations for the fight took place in a rather nervous situation. The Cuban coach, George Rubio, could not resign himself to the fact that the Russian-American trainer was now the #1 occupying the space he had previously held. Rubio was too jealous to show his love and concern for the English boxer, thus making it very difficult for Coach Mike to complete Campbell’s final preparations for the fight.

Luke Campbell with Troy James Fight from Olesya on Vimeo.

The fight did not go the distance and was stopped in the fifth round with the Olympic champion awarded a technical knockout victory. Campbell floored his opponent twice and both knockdowns went according to plan, a plan that was established and worked on beginning several months before the fight in New York and the entire training cycle in England, Russina-American boxing trainer, Coach Mike, was unhappy with the result of the fight. Campbell should have ended the fight much sooner than the fifth round.