By Elliot Foster

Luke Campbell has a desire to be the best.

The Hull lightweight, who is the current custodian of the Commonwealth and WBC Silver titles, made a successful defence of the latter crown on Saturday in his home city.

Campbell (16-1, 13 KOs) dismantled Mexico’s Jairo Lopez (now 21-7 with 14 early) inside two rounds, finishing him off with a classy uppercut, to retain his number three ranking with the WBC, live on Sky Sports at the Hull Ice Arena.

And while ‘Cool Hand’ Luke has designs on winning that coveted green and gold belt which is currently in the possession of Mikey Garcia –– who stopped Dejan Zlaticanin inside three rounds to claim the prize in January –– there is something that is far higher on the priority list of the 29-year-old Olympic champion.

Having lost his undefeated record and the WBC International title at the hands of France’s Yvan Mendy back in December 2015, Campbell is keen to avenge that defeat before moving on to the next level.

“Mendy has done the worst thing possible in beating me,” Campbell told Sky Sports in his post-fight interview at the weekend. "He had me on the worst night possible and it is never going to happen again.”

Campbell changed his whole setup in the aftermath of the defeat to Mendy, who is now 36-4-1 with 18 inside the scheduled distance.

He ditched the home comforts and uprooted himself to Miami where he teamed up with Jorge Rubio.

The pair have been together now for four fights –– Saturday’s sensational stoppage of Lopez, the brutal destruction of Derry Mathews last October, a points victory over Argenis Mendez and before that the dazzling display which saw him oust Gary Sykes inside two rounds last March –– and Campbell believes he will have the beating of Mendy, 31, with Cuban trainer Rubio in his corner.

“In a way I have to thank [Mendy] for that night,” Campbell continued, “because he made me make some big changes in my career.

“But I'm going to make him suffer. I want that fight badly.”

Boxing Scene understands that Campbell’s promoter Eddie Hearn was trying to make the fight with Mendy for Saturday but was unable to do so.

It is now understood, though yet to be formally confirmed, that the Mendy rematch will be pursued for Campbell for his next outing and should Hearn and the team “get that one over the line,” as he’s been saying is the aim, then it would likely be added to the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s world heavyweight title showdown with Wladimir Klitschko on April 29 at Wembley Stadium, exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office.