Super-middleweight Callum Simpson picked himself up off the canvas twice before securing a stunning stoppage victory over Ivan Zucco in his home town of Barnsley.
Simpson, 28, made history as he maintained his unbeaten record (18-0) to become the town’s first European champion when he stopped Italy’s Zucco in the 10th round at Barnsley FC’s Oakwell Stadium.
The Englishman dedicated the win to his sister, Lily-Rae Simpson, who died aged 19 in a car accident in Greece last year.
“Not once did I give up, in those last few rounds I’ll be honest I started thinking about my little sister Lily,” Simpson said.
“I’ll be honest, I just thought I had to push for her and for everybody. This time last year, Lily was sat up here cheering me on and she was there with me tonight when it got tough, when it got hard.
“From round eight, I thought, ‘I’ve got to dig deep, I’ve got to keep pushing, I’ve got to do it for her’. She was with me tonight.”
With the win, Simpson puts himself in prime contention for a step up to world level by the end of the year.
But the raucous Oakwell crowd feared the worse with only eight seconds on the clock in in the opening round when Zucco downed Simpson with a hard left hand.
Simpson shook off the early knockdown and buzzed Zucco with some fine punching of his own, but the home favourite was caught too square in the third round, dropped for the second time by a left hand.
Spurred on by 23,000 inside the football ground, Simpson was not to be deterred and he continued to advance – taking a number of risks along the way.
Simpson sensed an opening in the 10th round as he stalked Zucco before launching a stunning left uppercut on the chin of his opponent – who then sank to his knees before beating the 10-count.
Zucco was subjected to another punishing uppercut and slumped to his knees but he bravely rose on the count of eight, until a third knockdown meant the Italian’s corner pulled their man out of the fight.
