Reacting to comments from Whittaker, Chelli said that his victory over Morrell was far more than a fortunate punch.
“He hasn’t [fought anyone]. I just saw a recent interview of him where he said my fight was a lucky shot,” said Chelli to Sky Sports Boxing. “You don’t get a lucky shot against a two-time world champion weight division that gave a hard time against David Benavidez.
“You don’t get a lucky shot in boxing, especially at that level. Maybe against a smaller. At that level against a guy that is prepared for a lucky shot that is trained for it. I wouldn’t say jealous, but I think he regrets not taking that fight. I don’t think he would have done the job if he’d taken that fight.”
Despite criticizing Whittaker’s record, Chelli says he would welcome a fight with him.
“I don’t see him as actual competition, but he is a big name out there. What are we boxing for? Are we boxing for money, for fame, or for the belts? He’s the one I want with the WBC at the moment. So if his name is brought to me, of course, I’ll be happy to take it,” said Chelli.
Chelli also revealed that the two were once teammates on Team GB and claimed he dropped Whittaker during a sparring session.
“We were good friends at one point. We were on Team GB and shared the same rooms, and we were close. I think we fought for the English title in the finals, and I think something messed up there. We had a sparring session. I dropped him in sparring,” said Chelli. “You can ask witnesses there that I dropped him in sparring, but he still got picked for the Commonwealth Games.”
Whittaker (11-0-1, 8 KOs) holds the WBC International light heavyweight title and last fought in April, stopping Liam Cameron in the second round of their rematch in Birmingham. Chelli’s upset win over Morrell was the biggest victory of his career and has put him in position for higher-profile fights in the 175-pound division.
“I don’t see him as competition”
Zak Chelli has his say on Ben Whittaker 👀 pic.twitter.com/JBILvEC3Rt
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) June 17, 2026
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