Callum Simpson looking to carry on strong U.K. tradition at 168lbs

Callum Simpson is a massive fan of Barnsley Football Club and the team’s Oakwell stadium has given him some memorable moments over the years. 

The unbeaten super middleweight is intent on creating one of his own when he faces British and Commonwealth champion, Zak Chelli, 15-2-1 (7 KOs), at his home town’s famous old stadium on Saturday night.

“I’d say my favorite was winning the play-off semi final against Bolton last year. Just to cement our place in the play-off final at Wembley,” Simpson, 14-0 (10 KOs), told BoxingScene.

“I think everyone other than me jumped on the pitch at the end. I thought, ‘I best not.’ My brothers all jumped on but I thought I’d stand and watch and be a bit more professional.

“When I’m trying to get a fight on the pitch, I thought, ‘Let me not run on it and get in trouble. That’s the last thing I need.’”

Simpson will step foot on the Oakwell pitch this weekend and he won’t need to vault an advertising hoarding or dodge a steward to do it.

That the game Simpson is referring to took place 15 months ago shows just how long he and his team have been preparing for his weekend’s event.

The 27-year-old was only two months removed from introducing himself to Sky Sports viewers with an impressive knockout of Celso Neves when he held himself back from joining that pitch invasion. 

Simpson has become a regular face on the platform since and has followed the plan he and his team set out.

He has grown comfortable performing under the glare of the cameras and scored a couple of highlight reel knockouts. In order to ensure that he made it to this weekend in as good a mental shape as possible, he even found time to box to orders and get 10 important rounds under his belt against Jose Macias.

Chelli represents a step up in competition, but Simpson believes he has been ideally prepared for it.

“I did [box to orders]. Particularly the Macias fight. We wanted to show that I’m not just a pressure fighter, coming forward with big shots,” he said. “I can also box on the front and back foot. I think I still dropped him but I didn’t put it on him. You only have to look at my knockout ratio and stoppages to have an idea of what I can do when I put my foot on the gas. I think the same will be happening to Chelli.”

One part of the plan which Simpson and his team may not have predicted was that Chelli would be the man standing in the other corner.