By Shaun Brown

Is British lightweight star Luke Campbell being held back in his career progression by his promoter Eddie Hearn?

That is a question that was asked by some boxing fans when they discovered the 2012 Olympic Gold Medallist was matched against Yvan Mendy (32-4-1, 16 KOs) as part of Sky’s pay-per-view bill this Saturday in London.

Campbell, who recently turned 28, has amassed a record of (12-0, 10 KOs) since his professional debut on July 13, 2013 and is a hot tip for a world title with many a voice shouting “when” not “if”.

With all that in mind Boxing Scene threw a few questions, about the matter, to Eddie Hearn for the Matchroom promoter to answer.

Boxing Scene: Are you satisfied with the Luke Campbell-Yvan Mendy fight?

Hearn: I had an agreement with a promoter of a guy called Franklin Mamani (20-2-1, 11 KOs) who is number 4 in the WBC. He’s part of the Bolivian military and now has a commitment to it. Although I’m not joyous at Mendy it’s a tough fight. It was probably a better fight in terms of his positioning in the world rankings and manoeuvring him into fighting for the WBC [title].

That fight (with Mamani) fell through about 10 days ago. We put the feelers out and you get all kinds of guys that could be in the mix but a lot of guys, I felt as though, Campbell would deal with early and I just don’t see the value of that at this stage of his career. I could put him in with someone who the fans are more aware of and know he’ll get him out of there within four or five rounds but I just don’t see the value in that for Luke Campbell.

Boxing Scene: What do you say to the argument he’s being held back?

Hearn: I really don’t. I’m dictated to by his training team firstly. Outside of the Tommy Coyle fight he’s never really done any rounds. I think he went six or seven with [Krzysztof] Zsot, Coyle was 10 or 11. I am almost certain Mendy will give him 12 hard rounds. When you talk about being held back, held back from what? What fight is out there that I could make for Luke Campbell now?

Boxing Scene: Some argue that if Vasyl Lomachenko can get a world title fight In just his second fight, then why can’t the talent and amateur pedigree of Campbell get one soon or not long after in his career?

Hearn: He probably could but the division is a little bit different and, also, his training team will tell me the pace he wants to move at. Really, what I’m being told at the moment is 2016 “we’ll fight anyone”.

So after the Tommy Coyle fight he got married etc and now this fight, which is one more fringe world level fighter who give [Edis] Tatli a tough fight and who gave [Viktor] Postol a really tough fight. I don’t think he’ll win many rounds but I think he’ll be very tough, game and I don’t think Campbell will be allowed to breathe and I think at the end of the fight Campbell will be in a position where they can say now we’re ready to fight anyone.

I don’t necessarily think the victory over Tommy, with all due respect, has given him necessarily the belief. When you say you’re being held back you’re saying you’re being stopped from having a big fight. Well if you look at the division; Linares not available at the moment, Crolla’s just beat Perez, Flanagan -  that ain’t gonna happen in a million years - and Barthelemy is fighting Shafikov.

If Campbell had the Perez fight of course he’d fight Perez. If we had the Linares fight, I think they [Campbell's team] quite fancy the Linares fight, and I think that’s the toughest of all of them. Flanagan? He’d take that fight tomorrow. The winner of Shafikov-Barthelemy one hundred per cent but they’re not there.

We’re bubbling along nicely but he’s got to learn on the job. Fans want every fighter to be slung in at the deep end in every fight but we’ve got a responsibility so that when he does jump in the deep end he’s ready to swim. And I just feel like the Mendy fight, it’s not ideal there was other people in the mix, he’s going to get the rounds. I feel like after this fight he’ll sit in the changing room and say “I learned a lot there”. And I know that’s not necessarily what the fans want to hear but it is important for his development and ultimately that’s what’s going to keep him at the top for a long time.

My message to the fans is: 2016, Luke Campbell will fight any lightweight in the world but you have to let him have his apprenticeship and let him make that step when he’s ready. And his training team will tell me when that time is.

Shaun Brown is Boxing Scene’s UK News Editor. Follow him on Twitter @sbrown2pt0 or contact him at sbrownboxing@gmail.com