In what has got to be a cast-iron contender for domestic fight of the year, Paul Truscott and John Simpson participated in an absolutely ferocious fight for the Commonwealth featherweight title, characterised by a huge battle of wills, lots of blood, and neither man willing to take a backwards step – all combining to create a contest which wouldn’t have looked out of place in down-town Tijuana.
The fight was a rematch of their January 2009 contest in which Simpson acquired Truscott’s belt when proceedings were halted in the eighth round after an accidental clash of heads caused a cut and swelling to Truscott’s eye. This first encounter was characterised by classy, accurate boxing from Truscott, and dogged persistence by Simpson who, as the fight wore on, seemed to walk down, and through, the light punching Truscott drawing him into his kind of fight – close quarters, toe to toe exchanging.
The key to this rematch, it seemed then, for Truscott was to keep Simpson at long distance on the end of his precise jab, use the variety of punches that he can effortlessly throw, move around the ring and, most importantly, not get worn down by trading.
Local lad Truscott, fighting almost in his front room, and with a partisan crowd urging him on, looked very determined and fired up during the introductions, which begged the question – ‘was he was in the right mind-set’? This was a man who needed to be composed and not get drawn into the ‘wrong’ kind of fight again, as per last time. Simpson, meanwhile, looked impassive.
From the first bell it was clear that Simpson’s strategy was to start much quicker than in the original contest. Pursuing Truscott immediately, Simpson was throwing hooks to the body and having particular joy, as in the first fight, with the overhand right which often rocked back Truscott’s head. Truscott was having success himself with a high guard, working behind his jab and throwing round shots but already, ominously, looked to be trying to trade with Simpson.
As the second round progressed it was becoming clear that the pattern for the fight was being set. Again, Truscott used the jab and straight right to good effect but was still far too willing to exchange big shots with Simpson instead of using superior boxing skills, and movement around the ring, to keep out of trouble. Truscott caught, and hurt, Simpson at the end of the round but paid the price for ‘getting involved’ by returning to his corner with a nasty cut, streaming blood. Truscott, it seemed, just wasn’t fighting a sensible fight.
Simpson seemed to catch his opponent every time he threw the right hand, knocking Truscott’s head back constantly and cutting the man from Middlesbrough over his other eye during the third round. With the pace of the action, the flush shots that both fighters were exchanging and with Truscott now wearing a mask of blood it seemed obvious that this contest, one way or another, wasn’t going to go the distance.
During a fierce fourth round, the referee halted the action to allow the doctor to look at Truscott’s damaged eyes, eventually giving him the green light to continue, much to the relief of the pro-Truscott crowd. Truscott seemed to be punching harder than in their first fight, sitting down more on his punches and having success, but Simpson just kept firing back constantly. Both boxers were giving it their all in ferocious exchanges and each having individual success but, for me, Simpson was looking the stronger man whose greater experience was beginning to seem like a major asset. The contest was frantic and enthralling.
During the fifth and sixth rounds of what, up till this point, was still see-saw action, the balance of the fight began to tip in favour of Simpson’s strength, determination and sheer persistence. Truscott, full of machismo, was getting backed onto the ropes now, unable to keep Simpson off him or within the, relatively, safer territory of the centre of the ring. Truscott was firing back bravely and accurately but, none the less, was continually being forced into deeper and deeper water. Simpson put a lot of energy into this round but it was Truscott looking the wearier of the two.
More of the action moved to the centre of the ring again during the seventh and eighth rounds. The fight was savage with neither man wanting to give ground, both continually swapping the full variety of punches, looking to land the blow to make their adversary wilt. By now, the ring and both boxers were drenched in Truscott’s blood, whose face really was looking like something from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Simpson was the man who was definitely letting his hands go more during these rounds. Truscott was still battling and having success, for example catching and hurting Simpson in an exchange at the end of round eight, but Simpson still had that impassive expression on his face as he returned to his corner. Truscott looked tired.
The adversaries touched gloves at start of round nine before beginning the process of brutalising each other again. Truscott worked Simpson’s body to good effect and showed his spirit and character when, at one point, cheekily wiping the blood from his face using the ref’s shirt! The pace of the fight hadn’t slowed at all, and was still frenetic and, most often toe to toe. The defining moment of the fight came during this round when a combination of, both, punch and slip put Truscott down for a count of eight. Truscott survived the round knowing that he at least needed to match, or better, this Simpson breakthrough.
As round ten began, the atmosphere in the arena was increasingly boisterous, Truscott had complained one or two times during the contest and some of the crowd were fingering Simpson, unjustly, for deliberate use of the head. The boxers began this round exchanging heavy punches in the centre of the ring before, pattern resumed; Truscott was forced back against the ropes. Simpson crashed home a series of head shots and, for the first time in the fight, Truscott wasn’t able to offer anything in return. In this position of being unable to answer back, the referee rightly intervened to save Truscott from further punishment, leaving Truscott screaming in frustration, while Simpson momentarily jumped onto the ropes in celebration.
On reflection, this was a terrific fight and a great advertisement for British boxing. Simpson now moves onto exciting future fights with a very deceiving W20(8), L6(0) record and also retains the Commonwealth featherweight title that he fought so hard to keep tonight.
Conversely, Truscott can walk away a proud man with his head held high. As brave as they come, Truscott gave as good as he got for much of the fight but just came up a little short. Still relatively inexperienced, Truscott W13(1), L2 no doubt has the qualities to still have a good, long career and may one day look back and realise that Simpson was the toughest man he ever faced. In defeat, Truscott himself was, naturally, disappointed but very sporting.
In one of a number of fights on the under-card, Michael Holden scraped a draw against Czech opponent, Tomas Mrazek. Holden didn’t look in bad shape, his younger opponent looked leaner and more chiselled though. During the third of this four round fight, southpaw Mrazek connected with a left hand, causing Holden to lose all equilibrium and tumble to the canvas. Holden did well to survive the round but didn’t look fully recovered for the remainder. Holden, W10(6), L9(3), D1, fighting in next month’s heavyweight Prizefighter competition doesn’t, on this performance, look a likely winner. Mrazek moves on with a W4(3), L22(10), D5 record.
Also on the bill, Darlington super bantamweight, Stuey Hall won every round of his four round bout with Merthyr Tydfil’s Jason Thomas. Throughout the contest, Hall continually caught his opponent with a variety of heavy blows, leaving Thomas with a bloody nose and reddened face. For me, Thomas was too brave for his own good, never looked likely to win and deserved to be pulled out by his corner, or the referee. Hall remains undefeated, moving on to W5(2), D1, while Thomas drops to W7(2), L26(8), D3.
In a contest that never really set the pulses racing, Lancashire’s light punching Prince Arron widely outpointed Taz Jones from Wales in a scheduled eight-threes middleweight contest. The tall Arron used his long reach to keep Jones at bay throughout the fight, while occasionally peppering him with a useful right hand. Jones huffed and puffed for the duration with little success at getting inside Arron’s reach. Arron continues his professional career with a W14(1), L3(2) record, Jones sports W12(5), L7(3), D3.
Fighting out of Redcar, super bantamweight Gavin Reid controlled Bulgarian opponent Yordan Vasilev, winning a unanimous points verdict in a six-threes contest. Reid is now 6(3), L3(1), while Vasilev is W4(1), L10(3), D2.
Finally, Jason Cook, having not fought since 2005, resumed his career with a KO win over Scott Gordon from Bangor in a scheduled six-threes welterweight contest. Cook, the former EBU lightweight champion, was aggressive throughout showing a good variety of shots. Gordon just didn’t seem to have the power nor technique to trouble Cook, who was too lively, strong and experienced. The fight ended dramatically in the fourth round when Cook timed a perfect left hook which dropped Gordon face first onto the canvas, leaving the referee to dispense with the formality of the count. After a short while, Gordon was recovered enough to leave the ring with a W6(1), L3(2) record. Cook, W25(12) L2(2), could still prove a handful for any of his domestic rivals.
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