Callum Simpson vs. Steed Woodall Ends in Controversial Early Stoppage

On January 11, at the Canon Medical Arena, Sheffield, Callum Simpson (16-0, 11 KOs) successfully defended his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles vs Steed Woodall (19-3-1, 12 KOs). Simpson won the BOXXER card main event by second-round TKO. The bout was shown live on Sky Sports for those in the UK and on Peacock for those in the United States. Below is our recap of Callum Simpson vs Steed Woodall.

Callum Simpson vs Steed Woodall Controversial Early Stoppage

Callum Simpson vs Steed Woodall Fight Recap

The first round saw Woodall look to force the pace, but Simpson showed good variety in his work. A heavy left hook and subsequent uppercut from Simpson stunned his opponent, who was soon knocked down in the second round. The Barnsley native sensed an early stoppage was possible and pounced, unloading accurate punches on Woodall. Despite being clearly in trouble, the Birmingham native tried to throw back, but to the surprise of many, the referee stepped in and waved the contest off. Simpson retained his titles, which likely would have been the outcome regardless, but the stoppage felt highly premature.

Post Fight Quotes

In the post-fight interview, Simpson reflected on his win and the recent family tragedy with his younger sister passing away: “I’m feeling bittersweet,” said the Barnsley native.

He continued: “I’ve won these titles in front of all my fans but 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 other brothers and sisters, mum, dad and stepmum into the ring just to show that she’s not here, but she’s here in spirit. I’ve still got a lot to be grateful for.”

Reflecting on what many saw as a premature stoppage, Simpson said: “If he didn’t stop it then, we were going to stop it another half a second later.”

When asked what comes next, the British and Commonwealth champions said: “What’s next? I’ve just had a quick chat with [Barnsley CEO] John Flatman and he’s given permission to mess up the pitch in the summer.”

He added: “Oakwell, we’re coming for you again!”

Undercard

Caroline Dubois (10-0-1, 5 KOs) vs. Jessica Camara (14-4-1, 3 KOs) ended in a technical draw due to a doctor stoppage following a cut sustained by Camara from an accidental clash of heads. It was a dominant two rounds from Dubois who retains her WBC women’s lightweight title. Despite not winning the fight in the traditional sense, it was a brilliant performance from the Brit with so much accuracy and spite in her punches.

Scott Forrest (7-0, 4 KOs) showcased his punching power, stopping Deevorn Miller (8-3, 6 KOs) in round number two of their cruiserweight fight. A knockdown in round one was followed by a heavy knockdown in the second, with the referee waving the fight off.

Middleweight prospect Sam Hickey (2-0, 1 KOs) showed us a glimpse of his outstanding ability, knocking down Lewis Howells (3-2, 0 KOs) three times, with heavy body shots in the first round. It was impressive from the Dundee fighter, forcing the corner of Howells to throw in the towel to save their fighter from further punishment. 

Prelims

Billy Deniz (13-0, 5 KOs) won his light heavyweight bout against Mickey Ellison (15-8, 5 KOs) 77-76. The cleaner work from Deniz was the difference.

Mauro Silva (7-0, 3KOs) remained undefeated, with a 59-56 win against Emmanuel Zion (6-3,3 KOs) in their middleweight fight.

Ellis Price (2-0, 1 KO) defeated Liam Fitzmaurice (0-1, 0 KOs) by first-round TKO in their scheduled four-round lightweight bout.