Exclusive: Barnsley Boxer Callum Simpson Ready For "Acid Test", Says Top Promotor Ben Shalom

Callum Simpson’s acid test will come when he challenges for global honours, his promoter Ben Shalom insists, rather than the best super-middleweights from Britain and Europe.

Having added the EBU belt to his burgeoning collection of prizes by defeating the previously unbeaten Ivan Zucco earlier this month, Simpson is now targeting what would be a tough assignment against domestic rival Hamzah Sheerez before Christmas.

Widely regarded as one of the most talented boxers in the country, Sheeraz has stepped up a division since failing to wrestle the WBC middleweight strap away from Carlos Adames in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. 

Scheduled to face Edgar Berlanga at New York’s Louis Armstrong Stadium shortly, the Essex fighter would represent a huge step up in calibre compared to Simpson’s previous opponents.

But Shalom is adamant that the Barnsley star, who boasts one of the biggest followings in the UK, is the superior competitor.

Speaking exclusively to SportsBoom, the Boxxer founder and chief executive officer said: “For Callum, it’s all about whether or not he can win world titles. That’s the measure for him."

“Every single time he steps up, you can see his credentials. That’s when you really begin to notice just how good he is."

“We believe Callum is going right to the very top. We believe he’s only going to keep on getting better and bigger with the fan base he’s got."

“All Callum has got to do is keep going through the levels. We know how good he is and now the rest of the country is starting to see that too.”

After winning 12 of his first 17 outings inside the distance, the manner of Simpson’s victory over Zucco was particularly instructive."

CAUGHT COLD

Caught cold by the Italian at the beginning of their contest, at a sold-out Oakwell Stadium, Simpson also survived a knockdown in the third round before felling Zucco three times in the 10th. 

Afterwards, he told this website how refusing to seek perfection at the beginning of his career had enabled him to cope with the pressure the Italian initially placed him under - not least because they were facing one another at Barnsley football club.

“I thought that showed Callum’s character,” Shalom continued. “That proved he’s got the heart as well as all the other things you need to achieve in this business."

"Obviously he wouldn't have wanted to go down but he showed what he’s made of as well as the skills that he’s got.”

Simpson’s clash with Zucco marked the end of Boxxer’s exclusive relationship with SKY television, although Shalom has teased the possibility of appearing on the platform again in the future. 

"However, the situation has been complicated by suggestions that some of his stablemates boast agreements which stipulate they must feature on a specific number of the channel’s broadcasts."

That could explain why Adam Azim, who is also tied to Shalom’s company, was shoehorned onto the undercard of Simpson’s meeting with Zucco before Eliot Chavez, who had been drafted in at short notice to face him, was refused permission to fight after it was discovered he had used a sauna to make weight.

“Callum wants the best,” said Shalom, who has also guided him to British, Commonwealth and WBO Inter-Continental honours.

 “That’s what we are going to give him because he’s that good and that’s what he deserves.”