Callum Simpson on grief, fear and the 'euphoric feeling' going into his hardest fight on Saturday

9 January 2025, 22:31 | Updated: 10 January 2025, 12:57

“People die when you forget about them. Or you stop talking about them. I’ll never stop talking about her.”

Callum Simpson's voice chokes with emotion when he remembers his sister.

Lily-Rae Simpson died tragically young in an accident while on holiday. She was just 19 years old.

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The grief of that recent loss is raw, unmistakable in the British champion's eyes as he remembers her.

"Knowing that she's not going to be a bridesmaid at my wedding and knowing she's not going to be an auntie to my kids and they're not going to meet her," he said hoarsely before his tears broke him off.

"I'll always say her name. Even though I'm emotional now, crying now, whenever anyone says her name or speaks about her, I smile and I laugh, just proud that she was my sister," he told Sky Sports.

On Saturday, the British and Commonwealth champion will be boxing for the first time since her death when he fights Steed Woodall in Sheffield.

It's another occasion where she will be remembered. "I've got a nice tribute on my kit for my next fight, a tribute to her. Barnsley football club they did a minute round of applause for her during the game just after she passed away," Simpson said.

But he will also have to control his emotion when he boxes to defend his titles. Birmingham's Woodall is a dangerous challenger, coming off a stunning stoppage win over Lerrone Richards in his last fight. Richards is highly skilled, a tricky southpaw, hard to tag, whom Wood halted inside six rounds in June.

"Steed is the hardest fight in Britain for me and that's what I wanted," Simpson told Sky Sports.

"It should be a hard fight. That's what I wanted and that's what I've got. I've trained hard, I've prepared really well and I'm looking forward to it.

"I want to be the next super-middleweight star. I want to be the next big name."

Simpson is building a groundswell of support behind him. In his last fight he beat Zak Chelli at Oakwell Stadium in his Barnsley hometown, with 7,000 supporters including his sister, roaring him on.

He wants to continue developing his career, building on his impassioned fanbase and establishing himself in the British boxing scene.

Simpson can't then afford to lose to Woodall on Saturday. But to win, among the painful and joyful memories, he will need to keep his mind clear at least during the contest itself.

"I try not to take emotions into a fight with me if I'm honest. I've had emotions before the fight and I'm sure there'll be plenty after. But from now until fight night, I don't let emotions get in the way, get involved," Simpson said.

"I try to keep a cool, calm head. So if it's emotional after, it'll be emotional after I've won but during the fight and from now, there'll be no emotions."

Simpson firmly believes he can do that. "I think I showed I'm good at blocking out emotion and keeping relaxed and being able to perform under pressure and under what most people would perceive as a lot of emotion," he said.

"I think I'm good at doing that, I think I proved that at Oakwell when I walked out to 7,000 people shouting my name. When I did that ringwalk they were literally a foot away.

"I genuinely feel like it's a gift. I don't get nervous for fights. I don't feel any fear. All that fear is just enjoyment. Almost euphoric I would say.

"I don't want to lie and say I get nervous. Because I look forward to fight night. I enjoy it. I'm so grateful. This is what I've trained towards since I was a nine-year-old boy.

"I believe in my ability. I believe in my preparation. So what am I nervous for?"

Amid the storm of grief he's been experiencing since his sister's death, despite the intensity and mayhem of a boxing bout, fighting will be a relief. For as long as he's boxing Woodall, during the fury of the contest, Simpson will be at peace.

"I think boxing's helped massively. It's given me a good focus and good outlet as well for the grief and emotion as well," he said.

"If it wasn't for all the interviews maybe I wouldn't have opened up as much… Maybe it has helped me.

"Now let's live in the moment," he added. "Get a good win on Saturday and then hopefully we'll have Oakwell sold out in the summer.

"Years ago this would have been my dream, headlining on Sky Sports so I don't want to wish this weekend away and look too far into the future.

"But I've got big ambitions, big goals and Oakwell's one of them. But first enjoy Saturday night. I get to get that euphoric feeling and live in the moment."

Watch Callum Simpson defend his British and Commonwealth super-middleweight title defence against Steed Woodall on Saturday, live on Sky Sports from 7.30pm.

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Callum Simpson on grief, fear and the 'euphoric feeling' going into his hardest fight on Saturday