ON SATURDAY night in Leeds we saw Callum Simpson’s shortcomings as a boxer but his class as a person.

Having just suffered his first career defeat, Simpson took the microphone to ask spectators fighting in the audience to stop.

The violent and shocking scenes inside the arena appeared to calm down to a large extent after that.

Simpson then conducted a wet-eyed post-fight press conference during which he said there were more important things than a fight – surely a reference to his sister Lily who died last year. That brought a round of applause.

It is only human for him to be in tears after a 18-fight winning run, during which he won the support of thousands in his hometown, came to an end in surprising and brutal fashion.

But when he said he had let his supporters down he was wrong.

His constant positivity about Barnsley allied with his sporting success have made a lot of people proud and put the town more on the sporting map.

The reaction in the stands – where hundreds of fans stayed to support him after the loss – and online was mainly one of support and encouragement.

It has been a great journey – two boxing matches at Oakwell was unprecedented and unimaginable just a few years ago – and this need not be the end.

The prospects of a third Oakwell fight and then a world title challenge next year clearly suffered a blow with this loss but they are not impossible if he wins the rematch and rebuilds.

But he needs to improve on this fight.

Although Williamson’s right hand was always a threat and his smaller height awkward for Simpson to get in range, the Barnsley man won the majority of the first eight rounds. He had Williamson up against the ropes on several occasions, landing a flurry of quick blows.

But Williamson stayed in the contest and clearly won the ninth then turned to his small pocket and supporters with a smile and raised clenched fist.

In the tenth, he put Simpson down and the champion could not recover despite bravely attempting to stay on his feet.

The referee could have stopped it after the second knockdown but it took two more for him to wave the contest off.

Promoter Ben Shalom said later that Simpson did not have his ‘head screwed on’ and he chose the wrong gameplan -- trying to get involved in a brawl when he could have beaten Williamson easily.

But Simpson felt he had boxed well and been caught by a good punch which he could not recover from.

He was well ahead on the scorecards when the fight was stopped.

Where next?

Simpson is due to rematch against Williamson but, as the dust settles on his shock result, it is not clear if that will be his next fight or where it will be.

Winning the rematch will be crucial to staying in the mix for big titles in the future. He has been put down six times in his last two fights, having never been floored previously as a professional or amateur.

He has already cemented himself as one of the most successful Barnsley sportspeople in recent years, but can he add an even better second chapter?