SATURDAY’S fight will not be the first time a Barnsley man has taken on an Italian for a European title.

The reason Callum Simpson is hoping to be the first ‘Barnsley born and bred’ fighter to win a European belt is because Billy Thompson, who held the lightweight title in the 1940s and 50s, was born in Sunderland but lived most of his life in Thurnscoe.

Known as the ‘The Pocket Adonis’, Billy won the British title at Anfield in front of 18,000 fans in 1947 then was greeted by a cheering crowd in Thurnscoe and a street possession to Hickleton Main where he worked.

He won on points against holder and Italian Roberto Proietti for the European title at Harringay Arena in London in 1948.

Billy then drew with Frenchman Pierre Montane at White City Stadium and defended the title at Celtic Park against Harry Hughes.

He lost the title to Belgian Kid Dussart after being disqualified for repeated low blows and was fined £750.

Thompson attempted to regain the belt with rematches against Proietti and Montane but lost them both.

He retired aged 27 and died in 2009 aged 85.

Meanwhile, almost 70 years later, the only other Barnsley man to challenge for the European title was Josh Wale who lost in controversial circumstances.

The Brampton man took on Frenchman Georges Ory in Vesoul in a bantamweight contest in October 2018.

After a surprise blood test early in the morning the day before the fight, organised by the French promoters, Wale fainted on the hour-long car journey back to his hotel.

He was ‘dramatically effected’ but still performed well, controversially losing by a narrow margin, with one judge scoring the fight level and the two others giving Ory the win by two points.

His team thought he had won the fight and he was given a standing ovation by the French crowd as he left the ring.

Josh had suffered a bad cut in the second round following a clash of heads which his then promoter Steffy Bull called ‘career-threatening’, and was not treated for hours by doctors at the fight.