Respect looked to be the name of the game at Tuesday's press conference to formally announce a deal between DAZN and Boxxer that begins with the Aug. 8 rematch between Troy Williamson and Callum Simpson from the First Direct Bank Arena in Leeds, England, live on DAZN.
They fought five days before Christmas in 2025. Simpson looked to be in control of the fight going into the tenth round. But Williamson roared back with four knockdowns in the stanza to win by TKO with 39 seconds remaining to capture the British & Commonwealth super middleweight titles.
Simpson (18-1, 13 KOs) lost his undefeated record that night. He vowed that night wasn't what he's truly about. But the respect appears to be gone from both guys.
"I watched it back. I probably gave Troy one, maybe two rounds at best," Simpson said at the presser. "Anyone that knows me knows that was one of my worst performances I've done. I got caught with a shot in the tenth. Fair play to Troy. He jumped on me after that."
Williamson (22-4-1, 16 KOs) has said this fight is personal for him. To Simpson, it's nothing personal. It's just business at the end of the day.
"I don't care about Troy for it to be personal," Simpson admitted. "I had a lot of respect for him before the fight last time. In a few interviews since have been nothing but classless. I think being a champion is not just about being in the ring. It's about what you do outside the ring as well."
In Williamson's mind, he sees nothing but violence coming towards Simpson and a repeat of what happened in December.
"When I slam my right hand into his face, we'll see," Williamson said when asked by Adam Smith about Simpson being heavy for 168 pounds. "If he isn't, he'll go down again. Like I said previously, reverse one-two forty percent and put him on his a—. Didn't even land clean. When I land clean, I'll knock him dead as a nit."
'The Beauty' Tommy Fury fights 'The Beast' Eddie Hall on a great Misfits fight night on Saturday, June 13, exclusively live on DAZN. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Zayas vs. Ennis (June 27), Joshua vs. Prenga (July 25), and Canelo vs. M'billi (Sept 12) PPVs, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.