Callum Simpson stopped Steed Woodall defending his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles on an exciting night in Sheffield.

Simpson was boxing for the first time since the death of his sister, who tragically died at the age of 19.

Lilly-Rae Simpson’s name was emblazoned on his shorts and robe as he arrived at Canon Medical Arena.

Thousands of his supporters gathered and roared the Barnsley man into the ring with deafening cheers, which reached an even greater crescendo when Simpson forced his way through the fight.

Unfazed by the boos that greeted him at the first bell, Woodall tagged Simpson with a curling right cross in the first round, the kind of sharp punch that showed just how dangerous he was.

The Birmingham challenger found his accurate shot early in the opening round.

But when Simpson put the combination together, he got huge cheers.

He fired with his right foot and followed it up with a stiff left straight. He drove his left hook hard into Woodall’s body.

He led Woodall toward the ropes and rattled his head with a barrage of bullets. Simpson hit him again with his delivery and further pressured Woodall in the second round.

He trapped Woodall against the ropes and knocked the challenger to the canvas with searing combinations. He incorporated a right uppercut into a series of blows, culminating in a left hook and a right hook that knocked the Birmingham man to the ground.

Simpson continued to pound away at Woodall, even as the challenger was fighting back valiantly. He wanted to continue, but the referee stepped in to end the fight at 1:56 of the second round.

When his victory was announced, his mind immediately went to his sister.

“I feel bittersweet,” he told sky sports. “I win these championships in front of all my fans but everyone knows I wish someone was here but I know she looks down on me and I know I made her proud.

“I brought my other siblings, my mom, my dad and my stepmom into the ring just to show that she’s not here, but her spirit is here. I still have a lot to be grateful for.”

Did it stop too early?

Simpson himself did not believe the suspension was premature. “If he doesn’t block it then, we’ll block it again half a second later,” the champion said.

“To me, this should stop. At least Steed is okay and healthy.

“I knocked him down. He still couldn’t stand on his legs. Anyone who knows me knows he’s going to go down again.

“The referee did his job and kept him safe. Obviously Steed will argue but it was a legal suspension.

“It’s only going to go in one direction.”

sky sports’ Expert Matthew McLean did think too soon. “He didn’t stand up,” McLean said.

“Even if he was going to keep blocking him, it wasn’t the right time to block him.

“I think Callum Simpson will continue to play and win the game, probably by stopping, but it shouldn’t stop.”

Of course, the results stood and now Simpson will want another stadium fight.

“What’s the next step? I’ve just had a brief chat with (Barnsley chief executive) John Flatman and he’s been given permission to mess up the pitch in the summer,” he said.

“Oakwell, we’re coming for you again!”