Callum Simpson won his second title fight in the space of three weeks, but lively antagonist Elvis Ahorgah made him work for the victory at Wembley Arena.
Boxing on the undercard of Adam Azim vs Sergey Lipinets at the OVO Arena Wembley, Simpson applied a stoppage finish inside five all-action rounds.
Simpson, the British super-middleweight champion, had come in at short notice. With two weeks warning, only three weeks after his last fight, Barnsley’s popular Simpson was putting his Commonwealth title on the line against “The Soldier” from Ghana.
Simpson brings sizeable and vocal travelling support from Yorkshire, but Ahorgah had played his part, aggressively confronting the Barnsley man at their press conference as he launched a verbal tirade at the affable Briton.
In answer, Simpson began the bout busily, catching Ahorgah with flurries. Simpson was dominating the early exchanges and forcing the Ghanaian to cover up behind his guard.
He took Ahorgah to the ropes and his cross landed to the head. Simpson began to work at him with hooks and uppercuts, not allowing his rival a toehold in the bout.
Ahorgah was wild, but wildly entertaining (Photos: Lawrence Lustig/BOXXER)
A long right connected to Ahorgah’s chin. A right hook would follow a right uppercut to catch the Ghanaian.
Ahorgah did wing punches back at Simpson before the end of the round. He started the second round with menace too, launching a long left hook into Simpson. But the champion flew off the ropes to strike back. He pegged Ahorgah back with another sustained combination.
Ahorgah hurled a right into Simpson’s attack and it caught his chin. But the Ghanaian stumbled out of position and left himself open.
In the fourth round Simpson’s left hook struck the body and he landed to the head. That saw Ahorgah beckon him in. Simpson wound his arm up in the air, a showboat of his own. But he tapped in more accurate shots too.
In the fifth round a right uppercut set up a hard left hook that snagged Ahorgah’s chin. That landed with impact and Simpson tore into him.
Simpson takes control of his challenger for the Commonwealth title
Ahorgah tried to fight back, but Simpson lashed his right over. That staggered Ahorgah who tumbled forward. He only began to clamber upright on the count of nine, and referee Howard Foster stopped him on his feet at 1:53 of the fifth.
Next for Simpson will be a big summer fight at a full-capacity Oakwell stadium in his Barnsley hometown.
“Ben [Shalom, his promoter] is looking at potential top 10 world-ranked opponents. We’ve got plenty of options,” Simpson said.
“Liam Cameron in a Yorkshire derby? If [Ben] Whittaker don’t want it we’ll take him to Oakwell? Canelo to Oakwell?”
Scott Forrest’s bout with unheralded opponent Aurel Ignat only lasted one minute and 53 seconds, but it was riveting action throughout.
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Aurel Ignat stunned Scott Forrest with a first-round TKO but was it an early stoppage?
Scotland’s Forrest was, like Simpson, coming in for this at short notice just three weeks after his last fight.
On a good run of victories, including an eye-catching stoppage of Deevorn Miller last time out, Forrest began aggressively slinging punches at his opponent.
Ignat saw gaps and worried Forrest with sharp left hooks. But the weight of Forrest’s attacks was forcing Ignat to back off.
Forrest struck hard right hooks over. Hurtful, they landed high on the head and early on those punches looked like they could end the fight there and then.
But Ignat turned it all around. He badly shook up Forrest and pounced on the opportunity. He lined up combinations and another potent left hook struck home.
Aurel Ignat celebrates his triumph over Scott Forrest (Photos: Lawrence Lustig/BOXXER)
Forrest was on the ropes, wobbling unsteadily and the referee jumped in to pull him out, to Ignat’s delight and Forrest’s bitter disappointment. The Scotsman wanted to continue. An elite prospect, Forrest suffered a first professional defeat but Ignat has made his name.
“I wasn’t ready for this fight, but I had to take the opportunity. I am over the moon,” Ignat said. “That’s why everyone needs to keep their eyes on me.”
Lucas Roehrig is the protégé of George Groves, the former WBA super-middleweight world champion. Groves has become a coach specifically to train the young Londoner and Roehrig impressed in the contest that opened the televised card.
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George Groves’ boxing protégé Lucas Roehrig picks up the knockout win! But was the first knockdown controversial?
In only his second pro bout, Roehrig looked relaxed, slinging out loose jabs in the first round to catch Miroslav Savic.
He left gaps in his guard that allowed Savic to clip him. But Roehrig punched with his opponent and landed with greater force.
Well in control, Roehrig battered Savic down to the canvas in the third round. With Savic showing he was hurt, clutching at his ear, Roehrig took advantage and attacked remorselessly. He sent Savic down twice more, his left hooks dangerous, before the referee waved the bout off.
Jeamie TKV won a heavyweight war of attrition with Middlesbrough’s Michael Webster.
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Highlights of the fight between TKV and Michael Webster
The scheduled 10-rounder became a scrappy affair, with both men muscling forward. TKV bloodied Webster’s nose, and despite his frustration he managed to snap a right hook into his opponent.
They collided in clinches too often. But eventually TKV began to break through. He smashed a right into Webster’s chin in the eighth round and bored in with more punishing hits in the ninth.
At the end of that round, Webster’s coach decided his man was letting to much through and waved the towel to pull him out.
Watch Adam Azim vs Sergey Lipinets on Saturday live on Sky Sports+ or Sky Sports Main Event. Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
