📂 Categoría: Boxing | 📅 Fecha: 1778360610
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Zak Chelli scored one of the biggest upsets in boxing history on the Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois undercard on Saturday night.
Few gave the school teacher from Fulham even the slimmest chance of beating Cuban slickster David Morrell.
However, Chelli produced his own Rocky Balboa moment as he slumped Morrell against the ropes in the dying embers of the 10th round.
He was well behind on the scorecards, but the Brit never gave in, and his resilience paid dividends in the end.
“Boxing is all about timing,” said Chelli in the immediate aftermath of his career-best win.
“My wife and daughter are watching from home.
“Dad believes in me more than anyone. He trains me hard even when I didn’t want to!
“[David] Benavidez, we’re coming!”
A monumental upset
Morrell and Chelli were levels apart on paper.
Chelli (17-3-1), a former British and Commonwealth super middleweight champion, had come unstuck against domestic-level opposition on three occasions.
Morrell (12-2), on the other hand, is a proven world-level fighter who has won the WBA ‘regular’ title at both super middleweight and light heavyweight.
His only loss before tonight came against pound-for-pound star David Benavidez, and he gave ‘The Mexican Monster’ a real run for his money before succumbing to a unanimous decision defeat.
Story of the fight
Everything appeared to be going as most had anticipated from the opening bell.
Morrell repeatedly picked off Chelli from the outside as the Brit lunged forward with reckless abandon, but as the rounds wore on, the underdog’s confidence grew.
At the same time, Morrell began to take his foot off the gas, and he was made to pay for it.
A massive looping right hand from Chelli rocked Morrell to his core at the end of the ninth stanza, and as he got off his stool for the 10th and final round, his legs still weren’t under him.
Sensing his moment, Chelli marched forward in search of the finish.
And with just 36 seconds left in the fight, he backed Morrell up into the corner and finished him on his feet with a vicious flurry.
What could the win mean for Zak Chelli?
The stunning upset victory will likely elevate Chelli into a WBO interim title fight with Callum Smith next.
Morrell had been due to box Smith in April until the Liverpudlian pulled out with an injury sustained in camp.
Taking to social media after Chelli’s win, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri, wrote: “In light of David Morrell’s TKO loss vs Zak Chelli, the WBO Championship Committee will convene next week to determine the appropriate course of action regarding Callum Smith’s mandatory status. Congrats to Chelli.”
Zak Chelli scored one of the biggest upsets in boxing history on the Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois undercard on Saturday night.
Few gave the school teacher from Fulham even the slimmest chance of beating Cuban slickster David Morrell.
However, Chelli produced his own Rocky Balboa moment as he slumped Morrell against the ropes in the dying embers of the 10th round.
He was well behind on the scorecards, but the Brit never gave in, and his resilience paid dividends in the end.
“Boxing is all about timing,” said Chelli in the immediate aftermath of his career-best win.
“My wife and daughter are watching from home.
“Dad believes in me more than anyone. He trains me hard even when I didn’t want to!
“[David] Benavidez, we’re coming!”
A monumental upset
Morrell and Chelli were levels apart on paper.
Chelli (17-3-1), a former British and Commonwealth super middleweight champion, had come unstuck against domestic-level opposition on three occasions.
Morrell (12-2), on the other hand, is a proven world-level fighter who has won the WBA ‘regular’ title at both super middleweight and light heavyweight.
His only loss before tonight came against pound-for-pound star David Benavidez, and he gave ‘The Mexican Monster’ a real run for his money before succumbing to a unanimous decision defeat.
Story of the fight
Everything appeared to be going as most had anticipated from the opening bell.
Morrell repeatedly picked off Chelli from the outside as the Brit lunged forward with reckless abandon, but as the rounds wore on, the underdog’s confidence grew.
At the same time, Morrell began to take his foot off the gas, and he was made to pay for it.
A massive looping right hand from Chelli rocked Morrell to his core at the end of the ninth stanza, and as he got off his stool for the 10th and final round, his legs still weren’t under him.
Sensing his moment, Chelli marched forward in search of the finish.
And with just 36 seconds left in the fight, he backed Morrell up into the corner and finished him on his feet with a vicious flurry.
What could the win mean for Zak Chelli?
The stunning upset victory will likely elevate Chelli into a WBO interim title fight with Callum Smith next.
Morrell had been due to box Smith in April until the Liverpudlian pulled out with an injury sustained in camp.
Taking to social media after Chelli’s win, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri, wrote: “In light of David Morrell’s TKO loss vs Zak Chelli, the WBO Championship Committee will convene next week to determine the appropriate course of action regarding Callum Smith’s mandatory status. Congrats to Chelli.”
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📚 Información de la Fuente
| 📰 Publicación: | talksport.com |
| ✍️ Autor: | George Glinski |
| 📅 Fecha Original: | 2026-05-09 20:21:00 |
| 🔗 Enlace: | Ver artículo original |
Nota de transparencia: Este artículo ha sido traducido y adaptado del inglés al español para facilitar su comprensión. El contenido se mantiene fiel a la fuente original, disponible en el enlace proporcionado arriba.
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