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SportsTranscript
00:00 So final instructions from our referee Peter McCormack and on we go with this first bounce
00:16 for three minute rounds in the lightweight division with Seb Simmons wearing the blue
00:22 shorts, gymmed with grey in against the vastly more seasoned Carl Sampson from Sheffield.
00:32 His 24th professional contest.
00:34 The man from just up the M1 in against the debutant, the 32 year old Seb Simmons.
00:39 He's been waiting for this moment for so long.
00:41 He's got a good crowd here at the Meyer Centre in Leicester as well.
00:45 Just over the road really from the gym where he himself and his stable mates, plenty of
00:49 whom are on the car tonight.
00:50 And that's good work in the early stages, little uppercut just got through there from
00:55 Simmons and as ever on these fight night live from Boxing Socialist, a delight to have a
01:00 fellow that's got plenty of belts in the cabinet as well.
01:03 We've got British Commonwealth European titles of course, Lee McGregor who's very much warmed
01:08 into the co-commentator seat there but we want to see you back through those ropes soon
01:11 Lee but it's a delight to have you here again tonight.
01:14 Ah thanks Dom, thank you.
01:15 Yeah no I'm excited to get back through them ropes myself.
01:18 Getting up this close is giving me itchy knuckles.
01:24 A good positive start from Simmons.
01:28 Carl Sampson who Simmons will know can pull out a shock or two.
01:32 He did just that against Lerone Harrison at the end of last year in the second round stoppage
01:40 and he's going to work here on Simmons who comes back, swinging and just forces Sampson
01:46 back again.
01:47 A good start to this.
01:48 Yeah it is, I'd like to see Simmons just relax a little bit.
01:51 I can understand though it's his debut, he's wanting to impress but just loading up a lot
01:56 with shots and I just like to, like I said, vary the shots and not so smother his work
02:04 as much.
02:05 Yeah he's trying a bit too hard with every shot he throws which is, that empties the
02:13 tank quickly and he will learn that as he goes throughout his fight so this is all about
02:19 experience and these are why we have these kind of fights.
02:26 It's not the easiest of debuts either in against Carl Sampson whose record, five wins, one
02:32 stoppage to his name, that Harrison stoppage, he's 18 defeats, never been stopped, doesn't
02:36 know his way around and as we've seen already he will let his hands go from time to time.
02:41 Yeah you've seen it, switching southpaw, coming back with a backhand, just on cue there.
02:47 Yeah definitely it's a hard fight for Simmons in his professional debut for sure.
02:58 Decent right hand just got through from Sampson, trying to work on the inside, Simmons frees
03:05 himself and decent right hand himself.
03:20 So the final knock into the first round and I think that eagerness that you mentioned,
03:23 the debut under the lights, the friends, the family are here, it just, well the nervous
03:27 energy is just absolutely firing through the blood, but he's got the round out of the way
03:33 and how do you assess that, the first round as a professional for latent Seb Simmons as
03:37 Seb's the name he goes by of course.
03:39 Yeah he'll be the first one, his first round in his professional debut, probably always
03:44 the hardest one, so it's out of the way now, he's back in his corner, waiting to relax
03:49 and I can imagine there was a lot of built up nerves for that moment so he's got the
03:53 first round out of the way, I'd like to come out and see him in the next round and just
03:57 relax a little bit more, start letting his hands go a little bit more and not trying
04:01 to load up every shot.
04:04 Showed some good glimpses, good strength, he's definitely got some good strength but
04:08 like I said though I'd just like to see him relax a little bit.
04:11 And like you said, Samson is definitely no easy fight for your professional debut as
04:18 well so yeah good first round.
04:22 Yeah Samson's certainly not the kind of away fighter that just tucks up and runs around,
04:30 looks to have a go.
04:33 That's better, right at the beginning of the second round you can see his shots are a little
04:38 bit more relaxed and he's not as tense as he's thrown, just needs to stick to that,
04:44 stick more of that, that's much better.
04:47 That just works the jab well, comes around with a hook to head, then a hook to body,
04:54 good work from Simmonds, Samson quick to get off the ropes and try and manoeuvre his man
04:59 into the corner, he's done well there.
05:02 Just needs to keep composed, keep doing more of what he's just done there in the first
05:09 opening minute of that round, that was a lot better from the previous round.
05:14 More relaxed so he can start letting his shots go a bit better.
05:25 Both men finding the body shots.
05:35 And again Simmonds going to work.
05:44 Yeah this is a lot better this round from Simmonds, much better, I just think it was
05:48 a bit nerves, nerves were getting in the first round there and obviously got a good support,
05:53 trying to impress, sometimes that's the worst thing you can do is have a massive fan base
05:59 as you come out and try too hard.
06:07 Samson always throwing back, always in there though, always making it an interesting fight
06:12 and making Simmonds switch on.
06:24 A fair bit of wrestling going on tonight as well, both men.
06:27 Yeah, both sort of smothering their work out a bit, I'd like to see a bit more cleaner
06:32 work on their inside from Simmonds.
06:35 Nice shots from Samson there.
06:40 That's been the key thing really for both men, they've both been really keen to sink
06:45 in the body shots and the hooks when they're in those clinches.
06:57 Simmonds just using that jab, trying to find the range.
07:18 Well final knock into the second round as Simmonds again as the crowd really urge him
07:22 on here, the Mars Centre on the edge of Leicester City Centre.
07:27 Great crowd in here already.
07:28 It's a full house actually already Lee.
07:33 Yeah, that was better from Simmonds in the first half of the round, he got carried away
07:38 a little bit towards the second half of that round, it got a bit scrappy and there was
07:43 a lot of holding and smothering the work from both fighters so he needs to go back into
07:48 this round three, do more of the same as what he was doing at the beginning of the second
07:53 round.
07:57 Well the man in the corner giving the instructions is Ajmal Butt, the trainer from Unity Boxing
08:01 Gym, fantastic work going on there.
08:03 He's going to be a busy man, a punch as he's known.
08:06 Plenty of fighters on the card tonight.
08:08 A couple of rounds in, do you have Simmonds edging this one?
08:12 Yeah the second round was better, he needs to be more relaxed, letting his hands go,
08:20 not loading up with every shot.
08:24 He's landing that right into the body well.
08:34 Round three of a scheduled four rounder.
08:41 Simmonds still controlling centre of the ring and he's like to let those hooks go.
08:49 Interesting character as well.
08:51 Came through the white collar scene after a career in football was cut short through
09:02 to injury, just put on a load of weight, went to the gym.
09:04 We've heard this kind of story before Lee, went to just lose a bit of weight, got a bit
09:08 of a boxing bug and that was that.
09:11 That's great, that's the kind of stories you want to hear, you want to see.
09:14 You want to see fighters coming from, like you said, football background and then got
09:23 the love for boxing.
09:24 Again, heavy, overweight, wanted to just do it to keep fit and now he's in his professional
09:29 debut in front of a packed out arena, it's great to see.
09:33 There's plenty of other hurdles as well.
09:36 Sparky by trade, had an accident at work, temporarily lost sight in one eye but all
09:41 is well now.
09:44 Just wants to really see what he can do in the game.
09:46 That's a good body shot from Samson there that Simmonds took well.
09:50 Still in there, still alive Samson as Simmonds may feel he's just taken centre of the ring
09:55 but he's got to be careful.
09:56 Yeah, he'll be learning as well.
09:59 It's a professional game, there's no joke, even with guys like Samson, yeah he's got
10:05 a losing record but still a very lively opponent and more than capable of getting wins on the
10:12 road.
10:13 We say it many times Lee but you can't do what this fella does unless you've got skills,
10:20 skills, skills.
10:21 Yeah, he's actually moving well this round.
10:24 We're two minutes in and I'd actually say Samson has had the upper hand in this round.
10:31 Simmonds needs to start letting his hands go back to what he was doing in the beginning
10:35 of the second round.
10:36 Yeah, he's just, looks a bit lost in there.
10:46 Well Samson just going to work now, these are dangerous moments for Simmonds now.
10:49 The referee's having a look as well, he comes off the ropes and comes fighting, he's really
10:53 just lurched then at Samson but that was a sticky moment there for Seb Simmonds and as
10:59 you mentioned it was the experience really, Samson using that now, as we mentioned he
11:02 knows what he's doing in there.
11:05 Just caught Simmonds on the ropes there and let the hands go.
11:07 Yeah, he looks comfortable in there, switching side, you've got to be comfortable in the
11:14 ring to be doing stuff like that and he's doing it with ease really.
11:18 I feel like his cruise this round actually is made for an interesting last round, it's
11:25 going to make for a really interesting last round.
11:28 Yeah, plenty of very good work from Carl Samson, the eye-catching moment on the ropes but well
11:34 from Seb Simmonds' point of view, it's a massive step up isn't it from the circuit that he's
11:39 been operating on, now as a fully fledged professional, all the work he's done in the
11:43 gym he's trying to put in effect but then you're in against a very wily operator of
11:47 Samson's calibre.
11:48 Yeah, that's the thing, I can imagine Simmonds would, you go in the gym and you spar these
11:57 type of guys and you probably feel comfortable in there but see under these bright lights
12:03 when them head guards are off, them small gloves are on, your friends, family, everybody's
12:07 here, your nerves are there, it's really hard to focus, put all that aside and do what you
12:15 do in the gym, that's what comes with experience, remember this is Simmonds' professional debut,
12:22 so he'll learn a lot from this.
12:24 But I do feel like he needs to come in here and win this last round to make sure he's
12:29 victorious in his professional debut.
12:34 So Samson on the back foot, this has been the case as Simmonds just presses forward,
12:38 tries to get the jab working.
12:48 So it could all be down to this final round.
12:58 Just edging forward, Simmonds now again, Samson just uses his strength to just tangle him
13:07 up, Simmonds just lets the hands go, good work from him.
13:31 Samson again, just like he did in the third round, wants to pin his man on the ropes and
13:36 let the hands go, good inside work from Simmonds, just pushes Samson back.
13:46 The midway point of the fourth and final round.
13:53 Yeah, the same rhythm here, someone needs to break up that rhythm, a sharp feint and
14:02 I can hear Samson's corner feint, that'll break up the timing and then he'll catch Simmonds
14:09 with an off-peak, but a bit of work there from Simmonds with the body shot.
14:14 But yeah, I can hear, like I said, I can hear Samson's corner saying he needs a feint in
14:21 there and I can see why, they're sort of just happy enough to keep the same rhythm.
14:27 A little feint would break that rhythm and then catch Simmonds off guard.
14:31 Oh, there's a cut over the left eye now of Carl Samson.
14:38 The referee just mentioned the heads, whether that was from the head or not, but there is
14:42 a fairly nasty open cut.
14:43 Yeah, it's a bad cut, it's right above the eye.
14:44 He'll be running into his eye, luckily it's obviously 40 seconds to go in the round, it
14:52 would be fine to see the sound out.
14:54 The bigger problem from Carl Samson's point of view is he's got three more dates in the
14:58 diary.
14:59 He's a road warrior and the last thing he needs is a cut or a stoppage.
15:02 Exactly, that's a shame that he's boxed well tonight, he's done really well.
15:07 He could have maybe even nicked a draw here, I definitely had him winning round three and
15:11 this round four there's not too much in that either.
15:15 Well Simmonds will hear the last knockings through very shortly and well, the friends
15:21 and family are going to urge him over the line here.
15:24 Will there be a final say from him?
15:28 Samson just dances around and Simmonds just tries to let the hands go one more time.
15:33 Well there we have it, the fourth round at an end.
15:38 The bell has sounded, plenty of respect between the two men and Seth Simmonds who in against
15:42 a very good operator in Carl Samson has made that professional debut and yet Samson, well
15:48 they'll work on that cut straight away.
15:50 That will be his biggest concern now, win, lose or draw.
15:54 He's a very active fighter, good action throughout that.
16:00 Seth Simmonds showing how game he is as well.
16:02 Yeah, you see the heads rubbing together as well, it was, they were very close a lot.
16:08 It's obviously been accidental clearly, I think that was it there.
16:11 But yeah, a good, good open up fight for the first fight.
16:18 So Seth Simmonds on the debut, do you feel he's done enough for you?
16:20 I mean it's a tricky one against a very good operator but yeah, good body work from him
16:24 on occasion in there.
16:25 Yeah, it was a close fight, Samson did have his moments for sure.
16:29 I feel like round three was his best round.
16:32 I don't know if the ref will have given him any more.
16:34 I wouldn't be surprised if I see a draw here.
16:36 Simmonds professional debut, local lad, got a good crowd, good support here.
16:41 He might get it but it was definitely no walk in the park and a very hard professional debut
16:45 for him.
16:46 Yep, very, very tough debut for Seth Simmonds.
16:51 He'll learn a lot from that though, win, lose or draw.
16:57 Well with the hurdles at his heart, he lost his father who was his inspiration to turn
17:02 over.
17:03 He's dealt with a lot outside of the ring, he's a winner anyway isn't he?
17:05 It's one of those cliches but it's true.
17:07 Exactly, yep, 100%.
17:09 Takes a lot to step through them ropes and like you just said, they have to come through
17:12 the things he's come through as well.
17:16 He's a winner tonight regardless.
17:17 We'll shortly find out has he got the nod from the scoring referee Peter McCormack.
17:21 So let's cross to our MC, Huss Dragon.
17:24 Ladies and gentlemen, after four rounds of boxing we go to the referee scorecard.
17:32 The ringside referee scores the bout, 38-38.
17:37 This bout is a draw.
17:38 Well may I say Lee McGregor, that's what you called it.
17:39 You said you wouldn't be surprised with a draw.
17:40 That's exactly how it's panned out.
17:51 Well disappointment for Seb Simmons on the debut.
17:53 Of course you want your arm raised but absolutely no disgrace in against an operator like Carl