Zak Chelli Blasts Ben Whittaker Over ‘fortunate Shot’ Declare After David Morrell Knockout

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Reacting to feedback from Whittaker, Chelli stated that his victory over Morrell was excess of a lucky punch.
“He hasn’t [fought anyone]. I just saw a recent interview of him where he said my fight was a lucky shot,” stated Chelli to Sky Sports Boxing. “You don’t get a fortunate shot in opposition to a two-time world champion weight division that gave a tough time in opposition to 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 report, Chelli says he would welcome a combat 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,” stated Chelli.
Chelli additionally revealed that the 2 had been as soon as teammates on Team GB and claimed he dropped Whittaker throughout 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,” stated 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 gentle heavyweight title and final fought in April, stopping Liam Cameron within the second spherical of their rematch in Birmingham. Chelli’s upset conquer over Morrell was the largest victory of his profession and has put him in place for higher-profile fights within 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

Robert Segal is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24 with greater than a decade of expertise protecting combat information, previews, and evaluation. Known for his simple reporting and ringside perspective, he delivers authoritative protection of champions, contenders, and rising expertise worldwide.