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

Zak Chelli: ‘I said to the students I’m not going to be here because I’ll be fighting in Manchester.’ Photograph: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry

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.