As Troy Williamson awaited his rematch with Callum Simpson, he saw big chances come and go.
He kept training. There was talk of a bout with the superb Cuban Osleys Iglesias.
Then there were indications that Williamson might appear on the Tyson Fury-Arslanbek Makhmudov bill in London.
The first fight, a 10th-round stoppage win over Simpson, took place at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, on December 20, and neither fighter has boxed since.
That is where they will box on Saturday
“[I’ve] not stopped training. I don’t stop training, to be fair,” said the 34-year-old from Darlington.
“I’m in great shape physically and mentally and can’t wait for a fight night. Obviously, we’ve had big opportunities. We’ve had dates thrown at me left, right, and center. So, yeah, a few months ago, I was frustrated, but now I’m in a great place. We’re locked in and it’s not too far away.”
The grudge between the two fighters has simmered since the initial bout. Williamson, now 22-4-1 (16 KOs), has been a rejuvenated force since stepping up in weight and making his home at 168lbs.
Barnsley star Simpson lost for the first time in 19 starts.
“I’ve definitely got unfinished business now because they activated the rematch, so I just need to beat him again,” said Williamson.
“I can’t wait to put it all to bed, beat him again, and move on to bigger and better things.”
Williamson wants a world title.
The Matchroom fighter is ranked in the top 15 by the IBF, WBC and WBO and he said he has not let boxing politics bother him as he’s waited for the return fight.
“I haven’t let it get to me,” he insisted.
“It might look like that way on social media, but I’m cool, calm, and collected. It takes a lot to get to me. I’m very chilled out, probably too chilled for my own good. I always train hard. I’ve kept in the gym. I’ve got good people around me, and that’s just what’s kept me going.”
Williamson is a father to two sons, a two-year-old and a newborn. He has travelled for sparring to Essex and Dublin through camp, and is well aware of why he makes the sacrifices he does.
“I’m not really home as much as I’d like, but this is what I do for my family,” he explained. “So, let’s have a look at it now. I’ve got two little boys at home who rely on me. I need to make it happen. There’s no beating me now. Nobody can beat me now when they rely on me bringing it back home for them.”
And there is a big part of Williamson embracing the fact he has a rematch with Simpson, so he can put a full-stop on their rivalry.
“Do you know what it is? The worst decision he’d done was pull out of the May date [when they originally were going to fight again] because I’ve had like eight months now to really grow into super middleweight,” he added. “When I first boxed him, I was half the man I am now. I’m punching a lot, lot harder. I’m a lot stronger. I’ve actually grown into the 168-pound division. I’m twice as dangerous as what I was the first fight.”
Williamson turned over in 2016, and while he came in at 164lbs for some early fights, he made his way down to junior middleweight, where he defeated Harry Scarff, Ted Cheeseman and Mason Cartwright but lost to Josh Kelly, the current IBF champion at the weight.
That triggered a move to 160, but it is 168 that is the most natural fit for Williamson, and where he defeated Mark Dickinson and then Simpson.
“All these guys that have beat me, that’s their claim to fame, to shout my name saying I’ve beat Troy Williamson,” he said of his losses to the likes of Jahi Tucker, Ishmael Davis and Caoimhin Agyarko. “Like, I was a shadow of myself in them lower weights, but there’s no regrets there because I chose to fight at them lower weights, but I’m a different fighter. I’m a completely different fighter. And I think that’s why they’re all so quick to shout my name for them beating me. Like, I’m everybody’s biggest win of their career.”
He also feels that, at 168lbs and on his current run, there is far less enthusiasm from people wanting to fight him.
“I think that’s exactly what it was because I took three losses on the bounce,” he explained.
“Everybody had the right to say that I was finished, I was done, I was old. I took three losses on the bounce, so I understand why they were saying it, but I know why I took them losses. Everybody else knew why I took them losses. And I think that’s why Simpson took the [first] fight. I think that’s why Simpson genuinely took the fight. Obviously, I know I beat Mark Dickinson, but he might’ve been looking at it as if Mark Dickinson was out of shape. ‘He came in way overweight,’ that’s why I beat him. ‘Let’s get Troy Williamson, he’s a half-decent name in British boxing, we’ll beat him.’ But that wasn’t the case.
“I ripped up the script and he’s a fighter at heart. His ego was hurt, so he obviously wanted to try and get that revenge, but he made a bad decision, actually, in the rematch, because when I knock him out again, he’s gonna be coming off two back-to-back knockout losses. It’s gonna be hard to rebuild.”
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