‘I’d show ‘Canelo’ Barnsley’s sights’ – Simpson eyes dream fight

Would Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez swap the mariachi music of hometown Guadalajara for a tune from Barnsley’s brass bands?

Or maybe the Mexican superstar would prefer to sip a bitter ale, rather than tequila, while listening to cricketing tales from the town’s legendary umpire Dickie Bird?

For British and Commonwealth super-middleweight champion Callum Simpson, a fight against undisputed king Alvarez at the home of his beloved Barnsley Football Club isn’t as far-fetched as many might think.

“I’ll show him the town during fight week. Barnsley Town Hall is a beautiful building. For me, it’s the ninth wonder of the world,” the 28-year-old says with a grin.

“But seriously, two years ago, I did an interview saying I want to fight Canelo at Oakwell Stadium and people laughed, saying ‘you’ll never fight at Oakwell let alone Canelo’.

“But on Saturday I’m fighting at Oakwell for the second time in 10 months, having sold thousands of tickets, so why not Canelo at some point?”

Realistically, sharing the ring with Alvarez – who will defend his crown against American icon Terence Crawford in September – is a fair way away. And it is unlikely the 34-year-old has heard of Barnsley, let alone able to point it out on a map.

But Simpson, undefeated in 17 fights, is confident he will land a world-title shot next year.

First, though, he must overcome unbeaten Italian Ivan Zucco – who has 18 stoppages in 21 wins – for the vacant European title on Saturday.

Simpson was cheered to domestic honours by 7,000 fans when the hometown hero beat Zak Chelli at a limited-capacity Oakwell last August, but promoters Boxxer expect close to 15,000 on Saturday.

“I’ve done 3,500 tickets on my own – just from family, friends and messages on social media,” he says.

Being a huge ticket seller can take you far in the sport, and Simpson has built his own fortress of fans in south Yorkshire.

The secret is a genuine connection with his local community through personal interactions.

Simpson spends evenings at his local pub, personally handing out tickets.

“None of this is artificial. I’d like to think I’m just naturally a nice, hard-working person with a good heart, and people from Barnsley want to back me,” he adds.

Speaking to BBC Sport via video call while parked up in his car, Simpson is on his way to volunteer for a foodbank at a local supermarket.

“I try to give back to my community and I try to get to every charity event or local football game I can,” he says.

Simpson has a “new-found perspective” on boxing after his sister, Lily Rae-Simpson, tragically died aged 19 in a car accident in Greece last year.

“I always wanted to make my little sister proud, when she was with us and even now when she’s not,” he says.

“She’s still in the ring with me and I feel her presence there. When I’m training I can hear her voice and I can dig that little bit deeper.”

Simpson says he has watched videos recently from his win over Chelli, with Lily chanting his name and smiling in the Oakwell stands.

“That was the last fight she saw me in and it’s [Saturday] going to be an emotional night for my family,” he reveals.