Good luck with that: Cocky boxer thinks he can silence 7,000 local fight fans

Zak Chelli thinks he has the answer.

He is channeling his inner 'Rocky' to get the Barnsley crowd on his side by beating home favourite Callum Simpson in style.

Simpson will play host to British and Commonwealth super-middleweight Chelli, who is putting his titles on the line, at the football stadium on Saturday night.

Chelli's sprinkling of fans will be hugely outnumbered by Barnsley football and boxing supporters eager to see a home win.

It all adds up to a test of nerves - as well as talent and stamina for the visitor.

Not that you could detect any butterflies in the Londoner's stomach.

He recognises it had been a hard business decision to sell out a stand at Oakwell and is happy to take on the challenger, there.

In interviews ahead of the Boxxer show, he has relished making references to the 1985 American sports drama film Rocky IV, where Rocky takes on confronts Ivan Drago, a giant Soviet boxer with a noisy backing.

Referring to the Yorkshire din that awaits him, Zak said he was looking forward to the partisan environment, as it "gives me more motivation."

He recalled: "Rocky goes to Russia and they are all supporting the Russian and at the end they are all supporting Rocky.

"That is what it is going to be like so once I start smashing his face in."

He said the fans will swap sides once they realise: "What kind of champion I am.

"Once I silence them that will be the cream of the top...the icing and cherry on top. I am looking forward to it" he told ESBR Boxing

Chelli 15-2-1 (7 KOs,) who has worked out of the ring as a school teacher, said he had been training harder for the Sky Sports event than ever.

The 26-year-old said Callum was trying to take his British and Commonwealth champion belts from him: "He is trying to ruin my plan and I have got to ruin his, he is the enemy."I have got to defeat him big time."

He dismissed the Barnsley man as "Just a hype job; he hasn't showed much...he has 10 knockouts but he's fought nobodies."

The champion said he himself had easily beaten opponent with 20 KOs (Anthony Sims Jr) so he wasn't concerned about Callum's track record.

Simpson's best opponent was a Mexican welterweight, Jose de Jesus Macias, who he beat on points with, at York Hall, Bethnal Green last year, added Chelli.

Kevin Marie-managed Callum, who describes himself as humble and grounded, says he will bring a high-intensity work rate into fight night.

He has appeared relaxed and focused in the run-up to what will be a dream opportunity for him, on home soil.

The Mark Hurley trained athlete, 14-0 (10 KOs) hopes a win could guarantee an even bigger turnout at Oakwell in the future, “Boxxer didn’t expect it to sell how it’s sold" he said.

It’s risk-reward. They could have put 20,000 tickets on but what if I didn’t sell?

"It was a big risk from Boxxer in the first place. At least we know where we’re at now. Beat Chelli and we can keep on pushing. We’ll get it sold out next year.”