Later that year he was again seriously injured in a car crash, the resulting surgery shortening one of his legs, with surgeons telling him that he would never box again, but despite this Neill regained his fitness and continued to have success in the ring.
[1] He challenged for Hill's British featherweight title in April 1959 at Nottingham Ice Rink, stopping the defending champion in the ninth round after knocking him down nine times.
Neill started 1960 with wins over Alberto Serti, Germain Vivier, and Jimmy Carson, but was stopped in the fifth round in June by Johnny Kidd.
In September he made the first defence of his British title against Spinks at the Royal Albert Hall.
They met again for the title in November, Spinks this time knocking out Neill in the fourteenth round, leaving him in a coma and requiring surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain.