Callum Simpson (15-0) won the BBBofC British and Commonwealth Boxing Council Super-Middleweight titles, as well as the adulation of his home audience at Oakwell Football Stadium.
Zak Chelli (15-3-1), the defending champion, relished his role as the villain; certainly, Chelli is no stranger to the underdog role. The sheer size and presence of Simpson was enough to stunt Chelli and it was often Simpson who was forcing any engagements.
Chelli did grow into the fight during the mid-rounds, although this can be attributed to a lull in the output of the hometown hero, with Chelli eager to survive. It was the biggest test of Simpson’s career – his first true, live opponent; this was clear in the way Chelli was able to disrupt Simpson’s rhythm in the later rounds and survive the final round.
Simpson, however, had clearly edged the fight in his favour, earning him the prestigious national and regional belts. With a large backing from Barnsley and Sky Sports and an undefeated record, it will be interesting to see Simpson in the super-middleweight mix.
The co-main event was, on paper, the far more exciting attraction. IBO World Lightweight champion ‘Sweet’ Caroline Dubois (-0) made a confident stride towards genuine world honours by relieving Maira Moneo () of the WBC Interim World Lightweight title in a statement performance.
‘La Panterita’ was very much a live opponent, one with experience and danger in equal measure. Hailing from Uruguay, she held the Interim title for the past year, also having held the South American and WBA Fedelatin Lightweight titles; certainly, she is a brilliant addition to Dubois’ growing resume.
Moneo was eager to take the pace from the start, but was nullified by the southpaw jab of Dubois immediately. It was clear that Dubois was the quicker of the two, evading the attempts of Moneo to close the distance. This would be evident in the sixth, with Moneo walking into a carefully placed left hand.
Of course, that is not to say that Moneo was unable to stand with Dubois; she briefly rallied but to no avail. The 23-year-old Dubois inches closer to facing the top title-holders of the lightweight division.
‘The Benwell Bomber’ Joe Laws (14-3) and ‘Hitman’ Stephen McKenna (15-0) collided in a bombastic battle, fuelled by their mutual distaste of one another; with the Irish McKenna emerging victorious from their super-welterweight grudge-match.
Defence was completely abandoned as both fighters tasted the canvas in the first round, which will certainly be a contender for ‘round of the year’. This was followed by a second round of endless trading.
If other fights had a slower tempo, it was only because McKenna and Laws were using all the tempo available for themselves.
Short and sweet would be an apt description, with McKenna latching onto Laws from the chime of the bell and sending him down thrice in the third round. Like many predicted, the fight ended early, with McKenna now the owner of the WBC International Silver Super-Welterweight title.
The WBA’s #2 middleweight Connor Coyle (21-0) laboured to a points decision victory against the likeable Kyle Lomotey (12-2). The reigning and defending North American Boxing Federation Middleweight title-holder sought to impress in his first fight on UK soil, pressing the action from the offset.
Lomotey, who has previously faced the dangers of career stagnation, was able to find gaps, particularly in the later half of their eight round contest. Coyle primarily won the jab exchanges and it was his most efficient weapon. Pressure also assisted the Irish ‘Kid’, arguably winning the tight contest.
It seemed to be a mis-match on paper but, with Coyle’s absence from the ring, it proved closer and more contentious than necessary. Nevertheless, with the win, Coyle has WBA World Middleweight champion Erislandy Lara (30-3-3) in his sights.
The undercard of this affair, like many Boxxer cards, heavily favoured the a-side attractions, with each budding talent picking up a win.
Joel ‘JKF’ Kodua (7-0), a talent that has hopped between the undercards of Boxxer and Queensberry shows, extends his winning ways with a disciplined scorecard shut-out of ‘Happy’ opponent John Henry Mosquera (5-16).
Same can be said of Mauro Silva (6-0), who joined only seven men in stopping seasoned journeyman Dale Arrowsmith (6-111-5) in the second round of their meeting. With more hours on the clock, Silva will very much be a welcome addition to Britain’s middleweight malaise.
‘The Turkish Tyson’ Billy Deniz (12-0) struggled against ageing Frenchman Khalid Graidia (11-15-5) over their shared six rounds. Deniz, however, can count himself amongst good company in beating Graidia; Ben Whittaker (8-0), Zach Parker (25-1), Dan Azeez (20-1-1) and Karol Itauma (12-1) to name but a few.
Ultimately, Barnsley became the destination for British bust-ups, with the atmosphere telling the story of the night.
