America’s Sean Hemphill shocked Mark Jeffers on home soil on Callum Simpson’s undercard at Oakwell Stadium.

Jeffers had been looking for a statement performance as he pursued a shot at British rival Simpson.

But Hemphill derailed those ambitions with a majority decision victory. After 10 fiercely-fought rounds, they were level on one card 95-95 but New Orleans’ Hemphill took it 96-94 and 97-93 for the other two judges.

Jeffers opened the fight with slick head movement as he took a close look at Hemphill. He padded down the American’s punches and began to slot in solid jabs.

But the US contender, who has previously boxed former world champion William Scull, grew in confidence. He took heart at the end of the third round after answering Jeffers with a neat uppercut.

He began to swing punches home with abandon in the fourth round. They traded left hooks and opened up on each other with meaty right hands. It left Jeffers trudging wearily after him.

In the fifth round Hemphill lobbed a one-two over, and at this point Jeffers let it through. Jeffers dashed his right down but Hemphill came back at him, linking up shots to the head as well as putting together a brace of uppercuts.

Jeffers chipped away at his resolve with body shots. He found Hemphill’s chin with a left hook, but left himself open as the American fought back.

Hemphill’s steady output continued as Jeffers strained to break him down. They leant on each other, exchanging shots even as they tired in the ninth round.

A two-shot combination from Hemphill jolted Jeffers’ head back. Jeffers marched back into him, determined to avert a crisis. But the American kept on pumping out punches as they tore into each other for a grandstand finish.

The local crowd were even chanting: “USA, USA” by the end of the fight.

The 37-year-old former European champion Thomas Essomba was a tricky opponent for Rhys Edwards to pin down.

Their fight was much closer than Edwards’ 79-74 points victory might suggest.

The Cameroonian moved cleverly, sliding aside on his feet before picking his moments when to launch an attack.

He caught out the Welshman with lunging southpaw lefts and opened up with quick clusters of punches.

Edwards sensed he needed a fightback in the latter half of the bout. He pressed in, hooking his right into his opponent’s body.

He began to put his combinations together, grinding punches into Essomba, his right hook breaking through to catch his opponent’s chin. Edwards heaved weight into his cross and began to drive Essomba to the ropes.

His left hook shook Essomba in the final round, pinning him in a corner but only briefly. Edwards could only find patches of success, but it was enough to get him through.

After the bout Essomba laid his gloves down in the centre of the ring as his team, and Edwards and his corner, applauded. He is retiring after a fine career that has seen him win the European championship and become a two-time Olympian.

Middleweight prospect Sam Hickey advanced his record to 3-0 with a clear six-round victory over Harley Hodgetts.

A top GB amateur and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Hickey came out on the front foot feinting. Almost immediately he had Hodgetts under control. With Hickey too quick for him, Hodgetts could only retreat. He swallowed hard hooks to the body and a heavy right scudded over his guard.

Hodgetts began bring in flashes of aggression, catching Hickey with the occasional strike. But it was never enough to wrest momentum away from the well supported Scotsman.

Hickey lined up a damaging salvo shots at the end of the bout, cracking in his right as a cross and an uppercut. Hodgetts endured it, losing on points, 60-54.

Mauro Silva dominated Panama’s Omir Rodriguez. Silva swept a right hook over early on and was soon targeting the body with hammering hooks.

The referee warned the Mancunian for shots that strayed below the belt. But Silva was masterfully dictating the action, marching forward, tagging Rodriguez with jabs and flush hits until eventually the visitor’s corner threw in the towel after 66 seconds of the fourth round.

Birmingham’s Kane Baker provided a test for Frankie Stringer. The unbeaten Liverpool prospect started brightly, bombing down a countering right and selecting a left hook as Baker stepped in.

But in the second round Baker slammed a hard right into Stringer. That buckled the Liverpudlian’s legs. He dipped down, his knees almost grazing the canvas but did well to keep his footing and avoid a knockdown.

That spurred Baker on to swarm forward. But gradually Stringer composed himself and reasserted control in the bout, marking up Baker and winning the decision 79-74.

Ellis Price forced a stoppage against Jake Price, hammering out a fifth-round finish. Sheffield’s Red Johnson handed Harley Collison a count when he knocked the Southampton man into the ropes in their sixth and last round, winning the night’s opening contest 59-54.

Watch Callum Simpson fight Ivan Zucco for the European super-middleweight championship live on Sky Sports.