Simpson avenges only loss in Williamson rematch

Callum Simpson has regained the British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles, securing a unanimous decision victory against Troy Williamson in their highly anticipated rematch.

Simpson, 29, successfully avenged the only defeat of his professional boxing career, which occurred in December when Williamson, 34, unexpectedly stopped him in the 10th round.

The bout, held in Leeds, was another intense encounter between the English fighters. The judges' scorecards reflected Simpson's dominance, with tallies of 116-112, 117-112, and 115-113 in his favor.

Fighting under the guidance of new trainer Rob McCracken, Simpson landed a significant right hand in the third round that seemed to stun Williamson.

However, Williamson demonstrated resilience, fighting back and landing a blow in the eighth round. Recognizing the need for a decisive finish, Williamson pressed the action in the final round, seeking a knockout.

Despite Williamson's late surge, it was not enough to alter the outcome. Simpson, from Yorkshire, improved his professional record to 19 wins and one loss.

"It feels amazing," Simpson stated. "I really didn't want it to be that exciting, but Troy is a tough fighter. He won the last fight, so he had every right to be confident."

He further revealed, "What everyone doesn't know is that in the last fight, I perforated both my eardrums in the first round. I was an absolute mess, so that fight for me was just trying to survive."

"But I didn't make any excuses. I've come back better, learned from it, and I knew I was going to get the win tonight."

Simpson's promoter, Ben Shalom, described the fight as "unbelievable" and commended Williamson, whose record now stands at 22 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw, for his persistent effort.

Shalom expressed confidence that Simpson is back in contention for a world title and aims to secure a championship opportunity for him within the next year.

"In boxing, people are so quick to write someone off," Shalom added. "The amount of people that told me 'do not take that rematch'."

"We took it, Simpson did it, and I'm so happy for him."