Simpson and Appleby sounds mouthwatering by Imran Azam May 15th 2008

“This is the best match I have made in a decade”. This was Tommy Gilmour's opening statement when officially announcing the John Simpson and Paul Appleby British featherweight title showdown. Gilmour is confident by the time June 6 comes around the sell out signs will be up at the Kelvin Hall. Simpson and Appleby were due to clash on the undercard of Alex Arthur's world title showdown with Juan Guzman in Edinburgh on Saturday May 3. However with that fight being postponed (and now a non-starter with Guzman reportedly moving up to lightweight) Sports Network passed the all-Scottish showdown onto Matchroom. Mr Gilmour along with Simpson's manager, Alex Morrison, both agreed that such a contest was a main event in its own right. He said: “It's fights like these that will get the punters through the door and on the phones asking for tickets. It's fights like these that keep the British title alive and prestigious. This is not a manufactured fight. This is champion against number one challenger. You ask anyone ‘who will win this fight?' and no one can give you a definite answer. “Ideally, I would have wanted Paul to wait a while but he wants to go down in history as one of the youngest holders of a British title and then defend it quicker than any one else. At this moment in time he's driven by success rather than money. He already thinks he's the best in the world and now he gets the chance to prove it.” The challenger goes into the contest unbeaten in 11 fights. He is full of confidence and believes despites the champion's greater experience he can win the title.  Simpson, 24, admits falling out of love for boxing, after losing to Dazzo Williams in 2004. However he knows he's a victory away from not only keeping the Lonsdale belt outright but also a potential shot at the European title. He said: “ This is the first time I have headlined in my own country and it will be the most important fight of my career to date. I am only 24 and I regard myself as still being at the up and coming stage. “I've got plenty left to show the public now that I've knuckled down to leading the life I should be leading. You can tell from Appleby's record he can punch but I've been in the ring with bangers before and they helped me come on leaps and bounds.” Tickets for the fight are available from the Kelvin Hall on 0141 287 2604 or the St Andrew's Sporting Club on 0141 810 5700.

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