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

Callum Simpson’s voice choked with emotion as he thought of his sister.

Lily-Rae Simpson died in an accident while on vacation when she was young. She was only 19 years old at the time.

As the British champion recalled her, his grief over the recent loss was palpable.

“I knew she wasn’t going to be a bridesmaid at my wedding, and I knew she wasn’t going to be my children’s aunt, and they weren’t going to meet her,” he croaked, before tears welled up in his eyes.

“I always say her name. Even though I’m emotional right now and I’m crying right now, every time someone mentions her name or talks about her, I smile, I laugh, just because she’s mine I’m proud of my sister,” he told sky sports.

The British and Commonwealth champion will take on Steed Woodall in Sheffield on Saturday in her first boxing match since her death.

This will be another moment in which she will be remembered. “I have a nice tribute on my kit for the next game to pay tribute to her. Barnsley Football Club applauded her for a minute at the game after she passed away,” Simpson said.

But he also has to keep his emotions in check as he fights to defend his title. Birmingham’s Woodall is a dangerous challenger, having scored a stunning shutout win over Leronne Richards in his last fight. Richards is a skilled, crafty southpaw who is difficult to track, and Wood stopped him in six rounds in June.

Simpson said: “For me, Stallion is the toughest race in the UK and that’s what I want.” sky sports.

“It should be a tough fight. That’s what I want, that’s what I have. I’ve trained hard, I’ve prepared well and I’m looking forward to it.

“I want to be the next super middleweight star. I want to be the next big thing.”

Simpson has huge support behind him. In his final game, he defeated Zach Cherry at the Oakwell Stadium in his hometown of Barnsley as 7,000 supporters, including his sister, cheered him on.

He hopes to continue to develop his career, build a passionate fan base and establish himself in the British boxing scene.

Simpson cannot afford to lose to Woodall on Saturday. But to win, amid painful and joyful memories, he needs to keep his head above water at least during the game.

“If I’m honest, I try not to fight with emotion. I’ve had emotions before the fight and I’m sure there will be a lot of emotions afterwards. But from now until fight night, I’m not going to let emotions get to me. Be a barrier, get involved,” Simpson said.

“I try to keep a cool head. So if I’m emotional after the game, I’m going to be emotional after I win, but during the game and from now on, there won’t be any more emotions.”

Simpson was convinced he could do it. “I think I’ve shown that I’m good at blocking out emotions, staying relaxed, and being able to perform well under pressure and what most people would consider a lot of emotion,” he said.

“I think I’m pretty good at doing that and I think I proved that in Oakwell when I walked out and shouted my name to 7,000 people. When I walked that ring road, they actually A foot away from me.

“I really feel like it’s a gift. I don’t get nervous about fighting. I don’t feel any fear. All fear is just enjoyment. I’d say almost ecstatic.

“I’m not going to lie and say I’m nervous. Because I’m looking forward to the fight tonight. I’m enjoying it. I’m grateful. This is what I’ve been training for since I was a nine-year-old boy.

“I believe in my ability. I believe in my preparation. So why am I nervous?”

He’s been going through a storm of grief since his sister’s death, and although boxing can be intense and chaotic, a fight would be a relief. As long as he was sparring with Woodall, Simpson would feel calm in the heat of the fight.

“I think boxing helped a lot. It focused me and allowed me to let out my sadness and emotions,” he said.

“If it wasn’t for all the interviews, maybe I wouldn’t be so open…maybe that would help me.

“Now let’s live in the moment,” he added. “Get a good win on Saturday and then hopefully we can sell out Oakwell in the summer.

“A few years ago, this was my dream, to be in the headlines sky sports So I don’t want to spend this weekend looking too far into the future.

“But I have big ambitions, big goals and Oakwell is one of them. But first enjoy Saturday night. I get that euphoric feeling and live in the moment.”

The British and Commonwealth super middleweight title fight between Callum Simpson and Steed Woodall will be shown live on Sky Sports at 7.30pm on Saturday.