Mark Jeffers’ dreams of fighting his fellow Englishman Callum Simpson were left in tatters when he was outpointed by Sean Hemphill.
At Oakwell Football Ground in Barnsley, England, on the undercard of Simpson’s fight with Italy’s Ivan Zucco for the European super-middleweight title, Hemphill earned scores of 95-95, 96-94 and 97-93, and as a consequence may yet instead be rewarded with a fight with the popular Simpson.
Jeffers, 27, had made little secret of his desire to fight Simpson next, and in front of Simpson's supporters may have earned that opportunity if he had impressed in recording his 21st victory. Instead in his 21st fight he suffered his first defeat.
It was in the fourth of 10 rounds when both fighters started to hold their feet more and trade, and both caught and hurt. The 29-year-old Hemphill had, by then, made an impression with the consistency of his jab, but in the fourth they exchanged hooks and Jeffers landed an uppercut from close range and then hurt his American opponent with a right hand.
Jeffers’ belief that he was stronger contributed to him again attempting to close the distance between them in he fifth, and he was rewarded when landing a right hook. Hemphill, in turn, responded via a three-punch combination, and then a further combination before they again exchanged hooks.
A left hook from Hemphill caught the eye in the sixth, and after they again traded hooks, Hemphill successfully targeted Jeffers’ body, and Jeffers in turn landed a strong right hand.
If Jeffers appeared to have the heavier hands, Hemphill’s consistency and accuracy again caught the eye in the seventh, by the end of which he found three further right hands before being caught by Jeffers again.
It perhaps surprised Jeffers that he was being matched on the inside, where he succeeded with an uppercut before being caught with a right hook to the chin. Hemphill, again, then favoured a combination while Jeffers sought a solitary big right hand.
They traded left hooks in the ninth, when Jeffers also landed a strong right hook but took an uppercut as they both tired.
In the final round Hemphill landed a strong right hand and left hook to punish Jeffers’ low guard. He also succeeded with another powerful left hook, before, in the final minute, they let their hands go and traded until the final bell.
“This was an amazing experience,” Hemphill, of New Orleans, told Sky Sports. “I want to thank y’all for making me feel at home. I’d love to come back and fight again in front of you guys.
“Mark Jeffers is a dog. I had to bring my dog out – my dog was a little bigger – but kudos to him. He’s a warrior for sure.”
