Zucco knocks Simpson down twice, then surrenders in the 10th round after a wild match

The European super middleweight title goes to England: he takes it in the stadium of his city – Barnsley – Callum Simpson, a boy from Yorkshire who has written in his notebook, with a date to be determined, to launch the world challenge to a certain Canelo Alvarez. Ivan Zucco however, on the very day of the first defeat of his career that until now had counted only victories – 21, of which 18 by knockout – got excited by going one step away from the sensational feat. He surrendered in the tenth round, when in our opinion he was slightly behind on points, after a beautiful and dramatic match.

The epilogue in the tenth round

Hit by a tremendous series of blows, Zucco touched the mat three times. Then his father, the coach, showed the referee the sponge from the corner and said enough. A bitter epilogue to a match that thrilled the football crowd that packed the Oakwell stadium. Zucco, however, had scared that crowd on two occasions.

Zucco knocks out Simpson twice

A boxer with considerable power, the Piedmontese knocked out the British fighter twice, and always in the same way. His left hook landed precisely several times. The two most significant: after a handful of seconds of the first round and, subsequently, in the third. In both cases, Simpson's jaw couldn't take it. Two knockdowns to which, however, the Englishman reacted with great personality, getting up and resuming his boxing, made of pressure and the search for the final blow.

The electricity of the knockout at ringside

The electricity of the knockout made the match wonderful. There was no moment in which Zucco and Simpson took a breath. Zucco did not go to England to make a good impression and perhaps return home with an honorable defeat on points. He went to win and took risks, he never shied away from wild open exchanges. Credit to him, and credit also to the Cherchi family, who manages his career and sent him to prepare for the appointment in Mexico, where this type of boxing is at home.

Simpson is a warrior too

The same concept applies to Simpson. He could have managed the match from a greater reach, instead he constantly went looking for the close exchange. What was said for Zucco's left hook, applies to the Englishman's right uppercut: from the first few bars the Piedmontese suffered it, he never managed to find countermeasures, and it was precisely with that blow, brought in series, that in the tenth round the British resolved the match.

Zucco can try again, he deserves the European Championship

The future. Simpson can now hope to gain more consideration at a global level, even if both Alvarez and Crawford (they will face each other in a stellar match next September) seem objectively out of reach. Zucco for his part has understood that at the highest European levels he can certainly be there. He will have to get in line and wait for a new chance. From what he saw at the Barnsley stadium he deserves it.