Zak Chelli delivered one of the biggest upsets of the year, scoring a dramatic knockout victory over David Morrell.
The bout took place on the undercard of the Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois event at Co-Op Live in Manchester. The fight was arranged on short notice after Morrell’s originally scheduled clash with Callum Smith last month was postponed due to a Smith injury.
Many expected a wide gap in class coming into the contest. Morrell had previously held the WBA Regular title at both super-middleweight and light heavyweight, and his only career loss had come by decision to David Benavidez.
The fight unfolded largely as anticipated, with Morrell appearing to be on his way to a points victory. However, in the penultimate round, English light-heavyweight champion Chelli landed a heavy punch and unleashed a combination on the ropes. The bell came just in time to save the Cuban fighter.
After recovering during the break, Morrell seemed to have weathered the storm. But in the final seconds of the bout, Chelli rocked his opponent again. Morrell was out on his feet, and the referee stepped in to stop the fight, handing Chelli a shocking upset win.
This is undoubtedly the biggest victory of Chelli’s career. After the fight, he made it clear that he now wants to pursue a world title opportunity.
“I just beat a former world champion. I took my time, I saw my right hand hurting him, so I waited for the perfect moment. Did Benavidez do that? No, I did that. I want a world title. He was number two—I want number one.”
Morrell was ranked number one by the WBA before the fight. Chelli, who is mandatory for a shot at the British belt, could now expect a significant rise in the rankings following the win. Regardless of what comes next, he has earned something major.
