Simpkin delight at Prizefighter opportunity - 01/09/2008

LUKE Simpkin feels he has the chance of a lifetime after he was drafted into the Prizefighter Heavyweights 2 line-up.

Simpkin, 29, had been named as one of two reserves but a knee injury forced Scotland’s Ian Millarvie to withdraw to give Simpkin his big opportunity.

The event, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, will be held at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle on September 12 and features eight British boxers.

Four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and a final will all be staged in one action-packed evening, with each contest lasting a maximum of three rounds.

Whoever is crowned champion will collect the £25,000 top prize, while the runner-up gets £12,000, losing semi-finalists receive £8,000 and first round losers walk away with £4,000.

“This could change my life if I win it,” said Derbyshire-based Simpkin, who has won ten out of 42 fights with eight knockouts.

“At first I was a substitute and I thought ‘that’s good’ then they phoned me up and said ‘you’re in’ and that’s brilliant.

“It would mean the world to me to win it and it’s what I’ve been waiting for, for eight years. It’s a good pay day but it’s not just about winning this, you could go on to better and bigger fights.

“The first one was entertaining but this one has a much better line-up. I’ve fought a couple of them and they’re good lads. I’m more of a three-round fighter than anything else so that works in my favour.

“There’s no tactics involved in my game and attack is the best form of defence so I will just attack. You haven’t got much time to plan anything so I will just go out there, have a good time and try my best.

“I’ve got a lot of losses on my record but I was just chucked in at the deep end at the start of my career. I lost a lot on points but it’s all good experience, although I’m probably the underdog in this now.”

The rest of the line-up is Chris Burton (Darlington), David Ferguson (North Shields), David Ingleby (Morecambe), Darren Morgan (Swansea, Wales), Pele Reid (Birmingham), Sam Sexton (Norwich) and Lee Swaby (Lincoln).

Paul Butlin (Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire) and Danny Hughes (Sunderland) are the reserves and if they are needed a toss of the coin will be used to decide who gets their opportunity first.

Tickets cost between £25 and £75 (ringside) and are available now by calling 0844 493 6666 or by visitingwww.theprizefighterseries.com