CALLUM SIMPSON promised Liam Cameron a British title fight a year ago and is now hoping to make the south Yorkshire derby at Oakwell this summer.

Simpson beat Steed Woodall last month but is already preparing for a return to the ring after agreeing a last-minute place on the February 1 Boxxer show at Wembley.

And if he comes through this Commonwealth super-middleweight title defence against Elvis Ahorgah unscathed, he is still on schedule for an outdoor fight at Oakwell, the home of Barnsley FC, in either late May or early June.

Simpson has already boxed at the home of his boyhood club once, when he claimed the British and Commonwealth titles from Zak Chelli in August last year. But the stadium was only partially opened that night and all 7,000 tickets available were snapped up within two days.

Now, after talks with the club, it has been agreed that they will open the ground up fully for his next outing there, meaning more than twice as many tickets will be available. As such, Simpson is hoping to set up the biggest fight of his career so far to mark the occasion.

Old friend and long-time sparring partner Cameron has emerged as an option after his profile was boosted immeasurably as a result of his controversial fight with Ben Whittaker, which ended in a technical draw, last October.

Cameron and his team are continuing to chase the rematch but he might now get the chance to fight for the British and Commonwealth titles at 168lb next instead, as Simpson prepares to make good on a promise he made last year before he was champion.

Simpson said: “I’ve known Liam years, and have been sparring him since I was 19 or 20 when he was Commonwealth champion. We’ve had some great rounds.

“He’s a light-heavyweight at the moment but he has said before he would make super-middleweight for that fight. I promised him a British title defence this time last year. We had been sparring and I said to him ‘this year, I’m going to win the British title and I promise you a defence’.

“Because of what he has been through and what he has come back from I feel like he deserves a shot and it would be a massive fight. There were talks of it happening after I beat Zak Chelli but he got offered the Whittaker fight and took that instead.”

A clash with Sheffield man Cameron would also represent one of the biggest all-Yorkshire boxing derbies in history, with only 16 miles of the M1 separating the two cities.

Simpson added: “It would be absolutely massive because it’s a south Yorkshire derby. The momentum that he’s got and the following he’s got from the Whittaker fight would also bring something else to the table.

“He’s got a good following and I think it would be an amazing fight and the fans would come out in force from both Sheffield and Barnsley to support both of us.”