Give him the pain': meet Zak Chelli, the supply teacher turned boxing sensation

"Last Saturday night in Manchester, Zak Chelli, a 28-year-old supply teacher from Fulham, produced one of the sporting upsets of the year when he knocked out Cuba's esteemed David Morrell in a stoppage as shocking as it was compelling. Chelli had been offered the fight two weeks earlier and despite the limited preparation he proved himself a formidable late replacement. Morrell was ahead on the scorecards, but he was hurt badly in the ninth round."

"In the 10th and last, Mr Chelli as he is known to his pupils delivered a blistering lesson before Morrell was rescued by the referee. A joyous Chelli exclaimed he had just done what even David Benavidez could not manage. Last year, Morrell suffered the only previous loss of his career when the imposing Benavidez beat him on points. But Morrell had knocked down Benavidez, one of the most feared fighters around, to burnish his own reputation."

"I said to the students: I'm not going to be here next week because I'll be in Manchester for fight week,' Chelli says. I said have a look at this guy, David Morrell, and they were like: Sir, you'd better win or don't come back, because it'll be embarrassing for you.' I was like: I know.' Chelli looks briefly serious before he laughs at his own earlier naivety in a classroom."

"My mistake when I first became a teacher was that I was always happy. Never smile when you're a supply teacher because the kids will rip you a new one. They'll take the mick out of you. If you're a supply teacher, they think they can do what they want. So I've learned to always have a firm and steady look, be sure abou"

Zak Chelli, a 28-year-old supply teacher from Fulham, produced a major boxing upset in Manchester by stopping Cuba’s David Morrell. The fight was offered two weeks earlier, and Chelli entered with limited preparation. Morrell had been ahead on the scorecards, but he was badly hurt in the ninth round. In the final 10th round, Chelli delivered a strong performance until the referee intervened to rescue Morrell. Chelli celebrated the result as an achievement beyond what even David Benavidez had managed. Chelli also described how his students at Thomas Knyvett in Surrey encouraged him to win, warning him not to return if he lost.

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