Last night saw Barnsley’s boxing superstar, Callum Simpson take another huge step forward in his career.
Callum Simpson headlined at his boyhood club for a second time in front of an increased capacaity; he came up against current European champion Ivan Zucco.
The win wasn’t plane-sailing however with Simpson being dropped twice in the first and third rounds.
This win was an emotional win; as Simpson disclosed the thought of his sister Lily-Rae urged him on in latter stages of the fight.
Simpson had a nightmare start as he was dropped within just eight seconds of the first bell to a sharp left hook from his Italian competitor.
The Yorkshireman would be dropped once again not long later in the third round, leaving many worried.
It appeared he was in serious danger of a first loss on his record but he managed to recover and wether the storm.
Between rounds four and seven is where Simpson turned the tide of the bout, establishing his jab and pushing Zucco back.
Now dominating, Simpson pushed the pace once more and he said it was this point in round nine where the thought of his sister Lily-Rae urged him to come forward.
“Not once did I give up… ‘From round eight I thought, Ive got to dig deep, I’ve got to keep pushing, I’ve gotta do it for her.’”
He also said “She was with me tonight” as a massive factor towards a career best win.
Simpson has spoke publicly about the loss of his sister Lily-Rae who was extremely close with, he explained “I hear her when the sessions are hard… ‘Her voice will say just keep going, keep pushing.’”
Simpson also mentioned how important his home crowd was. With over fifteen thousand fans roaring him on from the first bell.
When he was asked if he thought about giving up early on he said “No chance… I’m Barnsley born and bred, I’ve got Yorkshire grit and I was never going to give up, especially with this support behind me”.
Now European Champion Callum Simpson sits in a great position at just twenty-eight years old with the backing of a city as his momentum continues to grow.
Whatever is next is going very exciting for the Barnsley fighter and his fans.
It is clear Simpson is already looking at stepping up once again from European to world honours “I’m not saying I’m world level yet… but in my next six fights I’ll be fighting for a world title.
Simpson is expected to stay active as he builds momentum and gains more experience before taking the ultimate step up for a world championship.
Oakwell could be in for a dream fight as he revealed a fight he’d love being Undisputed Super-Middleweight Champion Canelo Álvarez.
“We’ll get a world title eliminator next year… and then, if Canelo’s got the belts, We’ll get him to Oakwell at the end of summer 2026”.
Simpson took another step forward in an exciting career so far, overcoming a tough Ivan Zucco and now looks forward to preparing for his world title shot.
