Callum Simpson defended his British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles with a second-round stoppage of Steed Woodall on an emotional night in Sheffield.
Simpson was fighting for the first time since the death of his sister, Lily-Rae, at the age of 19. “I’m feeling bittersweet,” he told Sky Sports after his quick victory. “There’s one person who everyone knows I wish was here, but I know she’s looking down on me and I know I’m making her proud.
“I brought my [family] into the ring just to show that she’s not here, but she’s here in spirit,” the 28-year-old added. “I’ve still got a lot to be grateful for.” Simpson wore his sister’s name on his shorts and robe for the fight; Lily-Rae died following a quad bike accident while on holiday in Greece last August.
Barnsley fighter Simpson was the heavy crowd favourite at the Canon Medical Arena, up against Birmingham’s Woodall, who came into the fight with a record of two losses in 22 bouts. Woodall offered some dangerous shots early in the round, but Simpson asserted his superiority with a powerful right-left combination.
Early in the second round, Simpson sent his opponent to the canvas and although Woodall got to his feet, the referee stopped the fight soon after with the challenger caught on the ropes. Simpson improves to 16-0 with 11 wins by knockout, and said afterwards he is planning a summer return to Barnsley FC’s Oakwell stadium.
“Jon Flatman [Barnsley’s CEO] was ringside and I asked if we could mess up his pitch again this summer,” said Simpson, who defeated Zak Chelli at the football ground last summer. “He’s given us permission, so we’re gonna be back at Oakwell next summer,” Simpson confirmed to BBC Radio Sheffield.
“I was expecting a much harder fight,” Simpson said of Saturday night’s victory. “I’ve trained hard, prepared really well, and come up with some clean shots. The referee saved him, I think. He was only one more shot from going down again.”
Earlier in Sheffield, Caroline Dubois retained her newly-acquired WBC lightweight title in frustrating fashion after her contest with Jessica Camara was declared a technical draw.
Dubois, who was upgraded from interim to full WBC title holder at 135lbs after Katie Taylor vacated the belt last month, dropped her Canadian rival in the first round. Camara was struggling with a nasty cut above her left eye and was deemed unfit to continue by the ringside doctor before the third round could begin.
Because the gash was caused by an accidental clash of heads and fewer than four rounds had been completed, the rules stipulate a draw had to be declared rather than going to the judges’ scorecards, spoiling Dubois’ hopes of marking her maiden world title defence – and 24th birthday – in style.
Dubois (now 10-0-1 with five KOs) offered an unflattering assessment of her opponent, who was also left with heavy swelling over her right eye and a bloodied nose. “I don’t think she wanted it,” Dubois said on Sky Sports. “I hit her with a straight right and knocked her down in the first round.
“I saw her right eye was swelling up and that was from a punch. With the cut, the blood wasn’t coming in her face, it was coming round the side of her face,” the Londoner added. “It was getting stopped by the doctor or I was stopping it.”
Dubois, who is the younger sister of men’s world heavyweight champion Daniel, has now set her sights on unifying the division against British compatriot Terri Harper, the WBO champion. “Terri Harper, that’s who I want,” she told Sky Sports.
