But any plans to mope around in the wake of his crushing 10th-round, technical-knockout defeat to underdog Troy Williamson were destroyed by the dose of perspective he was prescribed at Barnsley Hospital in Simpson’s hometown 36 hours after stepping out of the ring.

“It was on the Monday after the fight,” Simpson told The Ring. “I went to the children’s ward for a Christmas visit. You know the sort of thing, to see the kids, take them a few presents, play a bit of PlayStation with them. It is always to bring a bit of festive cheer to the kids who are unwell, but I think I was the one who benefited most this time. Being there with the kids that day put everything into perspective for me.

“Yes, I lost the fight and I’m absolutely devastated by that, but some of these kids were about to spend Christmas Day in hospital. It just makes you see there are far more important things in life. I’ve had bigger losses in my life already. Nobody wants to lose a fight, but I got out of there safely and I was able to be at home with my family, so yeah, I had a great Christmas.”

There was also the gift of a rematch clause within his contract, which meant Simpson could secure an immediate chance to win back his super middleweight titles if he wanted one. For him, the decision to trigger it was made before he had even taken his boots off.

“I decided to do the rematch as I was walking back to the dressing room,” Simpson said. “I knew I wanted that fight again and I needed to fight him again, so I said it straight away. The next morning, I told my team again. I spoke to Boxxer and told them I want the rematch.”

Simpson (18-1, 13 KOs) returns to First Direct Arena in Leeds, England, on Saturday night, the site of their first fight, for his shot at redemption against Darlington’s Williamson (22-4-1, 16 KOs). DAZN will stream their bout globally as the 12-round main event of a telecast slated to begin at 7 p.m. BST in the UK and 2 p.m. ET in the United States.

Much has changed for Simpson since Williamson stopped him seven months ago, including a completely new training team.

“I went to Dubai with my fiancée over New Year’s,” Simpsons said. “It felt like I was out of that bubble a little bit, so I had some proper time for some real reflection. It was then that I decided to make a few changes and that was one of them.”

After spending the first 19 fights of his professional career with Mark Hurley, the 29-year-old contender decided to move across south Yorkshire and link up with Rob McCracken at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport. McCracken, perhaps best known for leading Anthony Joshua to Olympic gold and then the world heavyweight title as a professional, is one of the most experienced trainers in Britain.

It could be suggested that making such a drastic move ahead of such a pivotal fight is risky. But, as he enters fight week off the back of a defeat for the first time in his life, Simpson is confident that only minor tweaks, not a major overhaul, are required to get his belts back.

“I wouldn’t say you’re going to see a new me," Simpson said. “I would say it’s the same Callum Simpson, but with the required improvements. I met Rob in January and we had a good chat. I think the one improvement I need to make is using my range because I’m so big at the weight, I’m long. I can always fight on the inside, but as you step up in level you can’t be a one-trick pony and you need to be able to box well. I think that’s what Rob can bring out of me.

“I felt like I was winning the first fight, and I’d say out of the nine rounds, I’ve probably won seven or eight. But it was probably still the worst performance I’ve ever had. We know it only takes one punch to change it, and that’s what happened. But I’ve had plenty of time for reflection, made these changes and I know I’m going to come back better, stronger and get my redemption on August 8.”