Whether he was in the gym at the very start of his career, in a sports centre changing room after winning an area title or holding court as hundreds of friends and fans attended public workouts, Simpson (18-1, 13 KOs) was always the same, amiable character.

In December, his run came to an end. The 29-year-old lost his unbeaten record as well as the British, Commonwealth and European super middleweight titles when dropped four times and stopped in ten rounds by Troy Williamson (22-4-1, 16 KOs).

On August 8, the two will meet again at Leeds' First Direct Arena as the headliner launching Boxxer's new broadcast deal with DAZN.

Earlier this week, the pair came face-to-face at the rematch's first press conference.

Standing just yards away from the man who stopped him and surrounding by banners and hoardings advertising by far the most significant night of his career, Simpson presented his usual calm demeanour.

"That's just me," Simpson told The Ring.

"I'm me. Since my pro debut, headlining at my football stadium, on the BBC, on Sky, and now on DAZN, I'm just me, and I'll never change for no one. No matter how much success, money, or whatever title I get, I'm just me. A down-to-earth, working-class lad from Barnsley. Proud to be from Barnsley, a proper Yorkshire lad.

"I'll never be something I'm not. There's no reason to."

That laid back, matter-of-fact attitude helped Simpson cope with defeat. When a fighter has ascended as quickly and smoothly as Simpson, a first career loss can leave them at a crossroads. The easiest option is for them to concentrate on the victories that came before it and continue along the same path.

Simpson maintains that he wasn't himself first time around but has forced himself to examine why.

After sifting through the wreckage of the loss, he made the difficult decision to leave his longtime trainer and friend Mark Hurley. He took himself to the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, where he now trains under the renowned Rob McCracken.

"Everyone says, 'Maybe it's a good thing it happened'. I wouldn't say it's a good thing that I lost but you've got to look at the positives from it and feel like I've made changes that needed to be made and working on things I need to work on," he said.

"I never boxed for Team GB, never even won a national or regional title [as an amateur] but definitely gone back to basics with Rob. I'm never going to lose what I've worked on with Mark but it's what I can add to that as well."