STEPHEN SIMMONS admits that he has had more than a fleeting thought of winning the British title then promptly hanging up his boxing gloves for good.

There is, he admits, nothing set in stone quite yet, but there is a very real possibility that the 33-year-old’s fight this evening against Englishman Matty Askin for the British cruiserweight title could be his last ever.

“I’ve been having a chat with my wife about things and about what I’m going to do,” he said.

“The old body has been through a lot and I don’t have age on my side any more.

“When you’re young, you recover so much quicker whereas now, it takes me much longer. So I’m definitely considering hanging up my gloves after this fight.”

Simmons career has been long and distinguished. As an amateur, he fought over one hundred times including winning a bronze medal for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010 in the heavyweight division.

He turned professional the following year and in the intervening period, has fought twenty times, winning eighteen of those bouts, with his most notable achievement being when he claimed the IBF European cruiserweight title with a win over Englishman Simon Barclay last October.

However, with a baby son born in the weeks preceding his fight against Barcley last year, Simmons has re-evaluated things and has realised that missing his son grow up – he is often out of the house for twelve hours a day - is not necessarily the path he wants to follow.

“I want to be able to enjoy family life and see my son grow up,” the Edinburgh fighter said.

“My son is nine months old now and it’s very hard at the moment because I leave the house at nine in the morning and I don’t get back in until nine at night.

“He’ll be sleeping but when I come through the front door in the evening but he hears it make a wee squeaking noise and he wakes up. He knows it’s me, I swear!

“So that means that I get to have a bit of daddy time with him which is great.

“But I don’t want it to be like that forever.”

Simmons will have his work cut out if he is to become British champion this evening.

First off, Askin is the reigning British cruiserweight champion and boasts a professional record of twenty-two wins and three losses.

And secondly, Simmons is going to Askin’s home turf, with the fight taking place at York Hall in London.

The 29-year-old Englishman is the favourite with the bookies but but Simmons remains entirely unfazed by that. “According to the bookies, I’m the underdog - he’s the odd-on favourite but I like that,” the Scot said.

“It suits me because that means there’s more pressure on him whereas the only pressure on me is the pressure I put on myself.”

That Simmons has not fought for a British title until now is somewhat unexpected. But, as is the way with boxing, so many things must come together for fights to be made and with a number of Simmons’ fights falling through at the last minute, he has not always enjoyed the luck one needs to progress through the boxing ranks.

And a number of injuries have hampered his career too. But the fighter nicknamed “The Monster” is back to full fitness and has been rewarded with tonight’s shot at the British title which, he admits, feels like it has been a long time coming.

The Edinburgh man is, he says, feeling in tremendous shape and is in no doubt as to what the outcome this evening will be.

“I’m feeling really good about it - I can’t wait to get into that ring, get the fight done and dusted and get back to my family and normal life,” he said.

“I’ve been in camp for 10 weeks so I’m feeling great.

“I’ve watched a few of Askin’s fights because it was just about inevitable that we were going to meet at some point.

“He’s been pro for a few years longer than I have but I was enjoying what I was doing in the amateurs, which is why I turned pro later than him.

“I’m always 100 percent confident going into a fight - I believe that I’ll beat anybody and I believe I’ll win this one.

“I never have any doubt in myself and I’m totally confident that I’m going to win this title.

“I need to go in there and dominate - that’s what I’m good at so I’m not going to change.

“You have to win in any way you possibly can and that’s what I’m willing to do.”

And Simmons has one further thing to drive him on. If he defeats Askin this evening, he will become the first Scot ever to win the British Cruiserweight title and it is this, he says, that has given him an extra push throughout his arduous training camp over the past few months.

“I’m really desperate to get in there, do the business and make history,” said Simmons.

“The thing that’s really driving me on is the thought of becoming the first Scot to win the British cruiserweight title - that’s what’s really motivated me.

“If I do hang up my gloves and finish with professional boxing after this fight, it’d be great to finish on a high.

“Having two titles and making history would be a really fantastic way to finish my career.”