Not two full years removed from seizing the vacant Central Area divisional title, rising unbeaten super-middleweight talent Callum Simpson gets what he’s been calling for on home soil: headlining a BOXXER show at Barnsley’s Oakwell football stadium, a week before the new season gets underway with British honours at stake against champion Zak Chelli in the 26-year-old’s first defence.
Simpson and his trainer confident he can keep a cool head
Zak Chelli (c) vs. Callum Simpson in 12-round contest for British, Commonwealth super-middleweight titles
Main event on Sky Sports from Barnsley’s Oakwell football stadium
10.30pm ringwalks tonight after IBO lightweight champ Caroline Dubois returns
- The importance of experience: Callum Simpson highlights his trainer Mark Hurley, who has quietly been involved in several major nights as part of two-time world featherweight champion Josh Warrington’s team and pinpoints world title win over Lee Selby in Leeds as example to lean upon
- “We’re both very confident I’ve got a cool head, very relaxed and if anything it’ll bring the best rather than affecting me. I’ve fought and been to a few stadium shows to get the atmosphere and feeling… I don’t think the occasion will get to me at all,” 27-year-old challenger told BoxingScene
TONIGHT is the latest night in Callum Simpson’s development and it’s one where BOXXER will be hoping their 14-0 rising star lives up to the billing on home soil as he faces a determined champion for British super-middleweight honours.
Rocky Fielding, Callum Smith and George Groves are all former titleholders datng back to 2011 while recent HoF inductee Carl Froch won the Londsale belt outright while Simpson was still in primary school. The 168lb division – Canelo Alvarez aside – is languishing a little, but Simpson will be incrementally targeting world-level.
First, you must master the art of walking before starting to run at full speed. Chelli (15-2-1, 8 KOs) has been open about his difficult career journey to this juncture, understandably blasé when questioning Simpson’s resume and besides the vaunted punch power or Artur Beterbiev sparring stories, what does he bring to the table?
“I’ll be his toughest test.
I think he’s got to the deep end a bit quickly, I’ve had hard fights from the beginning – beat Umar Sadiq in my fifth fight – beaten good opponents throughout my career. He’ll be surprised to see what comes, you don’t get to British title level off just one right hand.”
- Chelli on Simpson, per BoxingScene’s John Evans
Having begun his pro career nine months before the coronavirus pandemic shut the world down in 2020, the Yorkshireman previously campaigned at 175lbs before moving down to super-middleweight, winning the Central Area title with a second-round stoppage win over Ben Ridings on a small-hall show in Oldham.
Five months later he made his BOXXER debut in Manchester on the Lawrence Okolie vs. David Light undercard and as the cliche goes, hasn’t looked back since.
Knockout wins over Celso Neves and Dulla Mbabe were sandwiched between 10-round decision victories against Mexico’s seasoned veteran Jose de Jesus Macias and the durable Boris Crighton, who gave now-former IBO world light-heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur all he could handle in Bolton four months earlier.
Banking the rounds in those aforementioned bouts will have served as invaluable experiences, even if bloodthirsty fans are hungry for more highlight reel knockouts, as he looks to make easy work of Chelli who has already tasted defeat as a pro. Will he?
Full card, is as follows
Zak Chelli (c) vs. Callum Simpson for British, Commonwealth super-middleweight titles
Caroline Dubois (c) vs. Maira Moneo for IBO, WBC interim world lightweight titles, 10×2-minute rounds
10 rounds: Stephen McKenna vs. Joe Laws for WBC International Silver light-middleweight title
Middleweight: Connor Coyle vs. Kyle Lomotey, 8 rounds
6 rounds
Middle: Mauro Silva vs. Dale Arrowsmith
Light-middle: Joel Kodua vs. John Henry Mosquera
Light-heavyweight: Billy Deniz vs. Khalid Graidia
Super-flyweight, 4×2-minute rounds: Sylwia Doligala vs. Sara Orszagi
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes hyperlinked
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