Olympic champion Luke Campbell agrees deal to turn professional

British Olympic boxing champion Luke Campbell has agreed a deal to turn professional with promoter Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Sport.

The 25-year-old, from Hull, beat Ireland's John Joe Nevin to win bantamweight gold at London 2012.

Campbell is the third member of Britain's 10-strong Olympic team to turn pro since last year's Games.

Anthony Ogogo made the switch in December, while captain Tom Stalker did so in January.

Middleweight Ogogo, 24, won an Olympic bronze medal last year, while light-welterweight Stalker, 28, was eliminated in the quarter-finals.

In addition, welterweight Fred Evans - an Olympic silver medallist in London - intends to join the professional ranks before the end of 2013, his trainer Tony Borg has confirmed.

The other six members of Britain's team - Nicola Adams, Anthony Joshua, Andrew Selby, Josh Taylor, Natasha Jonas and Savannah Marshall - have remained amateur.

Flyweight Adams became the first British woman to win an Olympic boxing gold last summer, while Joshua took the men's super-heavyweight title.

Campbell, made an MBE in the New Year's Honours List, has been part of the Great Britain amateur boxing squad since 2007.

In 2008, he beat Bulgaria's Detelin Dalakliev to win the bantamweight title at the European Amateur Boxing Championships in Liverpool. In doing so, he became the first Englishman to win a European amateur title since 1961.

Campbell missed most of 2009 following hand surgery but returned to win a silver medal at the 2011 AIBA World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA), which runs Britain's Olympic boxing programme - known as the World Class Performance Programme, has confirmed that Campbell will not be part of the squad preparing for the 2016 Rio Games.

Rob McCracken, BABA's performance director, said: "Luke has been a great servant to the World Class Performance Programme for a number of years and an excellent role model to other members of the squad in both his medal-winning performances and the way he conducts himself inside and outside of the gym.

"It is a disappointment for us that Luke has decided his future lies away from the GB Boxing squad but he departs with our best regards and we wish him every success in his future career."

Matthew Holt, chief executive of the BABA, added: "Like other boxers who have represented Great Britain superbly in recent years, such as Tom Stalker and Anthony Ogogo, Luke will remain part of the GB boxing family.

"He will always be welcome to visit our gym, spend time with our boxers and pass on his skills and experience and provide them with an insight into what it takes to become Olympic champion."