Neil Simpson the Cinderella Champ

NEIL Simpson, once the darling of Sky Sports’ fledgling boxing coverage, is something of a rarity in fight circles: a man thoroughly content with his career, a man proud of his achievements.

At 52, the father to six daughter does not brood over bad decisions or bemoan poor paydays. Simpson, whose day job is now making car seats, is free from the shackles of bitterness and can, therefore, discuss his 46 fight career without bluster and with disarming honesty. There are no excuses,

“I wouldn’t change a thing,” the former British light-heavyweight champ told me from his Willenhall, Coventry home. “Some people dream of winning a world title, I dreamt of winning the Lonsdale Belt, even before I stepped in a gym. And I achieved it. How amazing is that? There were ups and downs along the way, but I was determined that dream wouldn’t slip away.

“I fought for the European title and a version of the world title. How many people can say that?

“There are no regrets, I got to where I wanted.”

Simpson, a product of Willenhall Social Club ABC where he won an NABC title, was a TV ever present. Sky wanted exciting fights - and he delivered.

The 2001 vacant Commonwealth title clash with thunderous punching Zimbabwean Hastings Rasani was a particularly savage affair, best watched through a curtain of fingers.

In a heart-stopping Coventry encounter, Simpson was down four times in the first two rounds before prevailing in the fourth.

“Three times in the first round,” he recalled. “The one in the second was particularly hurtful - you could hear a pin drop every time I hit the canvas, but I got through it. I think it was fight of year.”

There was the 2002 World Boxing Union clash with Tony Oakey, in the Pompey puncher’s Portsmouth backyard. Oakey’s fans were known for their boisterous passion - and Simpson felt the full force of their fervour before dropping a clear 12 round decision.

“Walking to the ring, I felt wet on my face and realised they were spitting at me,” said Simpson. “The commentator said, ‘Simpson’s up for this one, he’s talking to the crowd’. I was actually telling them to f*** off’, I was furious.

“Losing was disappointing. I tried my best, but he outworked me.”

There was the sensational 2000, one round stoppage of West Ham’s heavily favoured Mark Delaney in defence of the British title.

“No one gave me a chance,” Simpson recalled. “But I’d beaten him as an amateur in a hard fight. The right hand that took everything out of him...I knew I could throw it. I didn’t throw it very often, but I knew I could throw it. He should’ve gone down, really.”

Simpson’s upright, correct style masked a tungsten tough warrior prepared to wade through pain to seize victory. That’s why the cameras loved him.

Guided by manager Johnny Griffin - a real small-hall hustler - he was matched tough from the outset. No favours were asked or given.

After turning pro in 1994, Simpson tasted points defeat in only his third outing.

The following year was near disastrous, with four losses in seven, including a points defeat in Copenhagen and a second round KO at the hands of Birmingham’s thunderous punching Andy McVeigh.

Simpson seemed destined to be an also ran, but learned from the defeats, the losses added guile and grit to his game.

He swerved no one - and even moved to heavyweight in the search for paydays. As he put it succinctly: “I always came to win.”

In 1995, he became Midlands champ when Greg Scott Briggs was disqualified in the seventh. Losses against very good men still studded Simpson’s record, but he was marching towards top contender status.

1999 proved the breakout year, the time television got a taste of what the box fighter brought to the table.

He looked unlucky to lose a 12 round split decision to Belfast’s Darren Corbett - an individual who carried lights out power despite his portly appearance - for the IBO inter-continental title.

The pair were rematched for the British crown, only for the Irishman to pull out and Mark Baker step into the breach.

“Corbett said it was for contractual reasons, but I think he didn’t fancy facing me in Coventry.

“Mark took it at five days notice. I knew him well and we became good friends - just a week before I’d sparred him for the Corbett fight and we’d both sparred (Chris) Eubank in Dubai.”

At the city’s Skydome on May 22, 2000, Simpson’s dream became a reality. He had the Lonsdale Belt wrapped round his waist after taking a 114-113 decision.

“I went down in the second and the commentator said it was a body shot,” Simpson recalled. “It was a headbutt and, for a few rounds, I didn’t know where I was. Looking back, I don’t know how I got through it. I just wasn’t prepared to let the dream slip away.”

He had taken a tough route to domestic boxing’s peak, but the Midlander’s time at the summit would prove short lived.

Eleven months later - and just three months after the Rasani thriller - Simpson’s bid to become European titleholder came to a violent end at the hands of Yawe Davis in Italy.

Then came the Oakey loss, then, at Coventry’s AT7 Centre, Peter Oboh halted Simpson in the 11th for the British and Commonwealth belts.

Hopes of recapturing his old crown were further stifled by Mark Brookes who won their eliminator on points.

Simpson pieced together a winning run, then - in something that can now be looked on as a Mission Impossible - agreed to fight menacing heavyweight Derek Chisora.

Simpson’s chances in that 2008 clash wavered between slim and none. Slim left town long before the first bell sounded, according to the bookies.

Heavily outweighed, Simpson was pulled out at the end of the second.

“I was supposed to fight Enzo Maccarinelli,” Simpson explained. “I asked for more money and they rang back and told me someone else had taken the fight.

“They said, ‘you can fight Derek Chisora’. I took it on a day’s notice. I thought I had nothing to lose, I did fancy outboxing him. For the first two rounds he hardly touched me, then my hand broke. Some thought I quit, but I went to hospital.”

Simpson was only one fight from retirement. While still recovering from the break, he agreed to take part in the May, 2009, cruiserweight Prizefighter tournament and was stopped by Dean Francis. It was the second time the former British champ had halted Simpson in three.

“He was the best I fought,” said Simpson. “A different class, world class, he gave me a lesson. I didn’t think it should’ve been stopped, but I wasn’t winning.”

Simpson retired with a 26-19-1 slate.

“There was never any animosity towards anyone I fought,” he added. “A bit of back and forth with Oakey, but no animosity. It was just business.”

A bloody business.

Simpson shrugged off the blood, took his bumps and bruises, and emerged as an unlikely British champ.

Others earned more, few gave more than Neil Simpson.