Callum Simpson is the new Carl Froch, says coach
It was a spectacular victory for the man who is now being described as the biggest ticket seller in British boxing
Coach Rob McCracken says newly re-installed champion Callum Simpson reminds him of his former charge Carl Froch - and compliments don't come much bigger than that.
McCracken took over Simpson's training in January, after he lost his British and Commonwealth titles to Troy Williamson.
Last Saturday, after a camp at Sheffield’s EIS base, the Barnsley man seized back the belts, outpointing his opponent after a brutal 12-round war.
It was a spectacular victory for the man who is now being described as the biggest ticket seller in British boxing.
"He has come to the GB Boxing gym which is full of elite athletes who fight Kazakhs and Uzbeks all the time" said McCracken.
He" has been sparring and working with them. Carl Froch used to do the same thing."
The training, running and sparring routine with Britain’s top amateurs isn’t the only reminder of Froch.
The Nottingham fighter won world titles at super-middleweight multiple times, defeating a succession of elite opponents including Jean Pascal, Jermain Taylor, Arthur Abraham, Andre Dirrell, Lucian Bute and Mikkel Kessler.
“Carl Froch was a beast, a physical beast, and he used to talk to me in between rounds like he wasn’t in fights that he was in,” reminisced McCracken.
“He is resilient, he is robust, he is not bothered about being in there with these killers and the best in the world. Callum has got a bit of that about him.
"Mentally he (Callum) is resilient...he withstood a few tough moments in there and just came back.
"You can't buy that. He has fitted in really well at Sheffield."
The GB coach added: "I look forward to bigger and better things from Callum.
"He can really push forward now and look at world titles in the future."
Promoter Ben Shalom recalled how some observers in boxing had called the team "idiots" for seeking a rematch following December's TKO defeat at the same Leeds Arena venue.
But that was only one bad night at the office.
"Troy was ordered for a world title in the interim and that is what the plan is for Callum. He has gone through every single level."
Shalom said more big Arena nights will follow, as well as a second show at Oakwell, the home of Simpson’s beloved Barnsley FC.
Simpson told a post-fight press conference that the win was “sweeter” than winning his British and European titles previously, after so many people had doubted him.
He also admitted his family had been “very, very worried” about the rematch.
But he was confident having prepared well in Sheffield.
"It is not about the loss it is how you learn and how you come back from it" he concluded.