Boxing
'My dad went on every social media page!' - Zak Chelli ready to seize David Morrell chance
Wardley vs. Dubois: Only on DAZN PPV - Saturday
"I still remember it like it was yesterday," Zak Chelli recalls, a fond glint in his eye. "I remember looking around at the atmosphere."
The London-born light-heavyweight star is flashing back to his arena debut in Leeds, back in May 2017, when he beat Chris Dutton.
"I was thinking, I couldn't wait to do more of this," he adds, before he gives a wry smile. "Then, I started to learn the politics of boxing."
Chelli is all too familiar with how the sport operates, how its organisational layers so often stymie the hopes of fighters for progression.
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For the better part of the last year, the star has been chasing a shot at the British light-heavyweight title, against Lewis Edmondson.
Yet those plans are iced for the moment, after he found himself drafted in to face David Morrell this Saturday at Manchester's Co-op Live.
Having seen his bout with Callum Smith pulled last month at short notice, the hard-hitting Cuban presents a different kind of challenge.
Chelli laughs when he considers how the bout came around. "Once Smith was pulled, my dad went on every single social media page.
"He kept asking Morrell to fight his son, on every single page. We got a call from Frank Warren's management after that, and we took it!"
'My dad's been telling me to train every day!'
Boxing has long been a family affair for Chelli. His father Zakaria has trained and managed him for much of his professional career.
It was him who convinced the star to maintain his rigorous training schedule following last June's win over Adam Hepple at York Hall.
Since then, Chelli has been unable to nail down a fight, with Edmondson instead pursuing a European bout against Lyndon Arthur.
But he is used to the wait. "They way I cope with it is being pro for ten years," he muses on the downtime. "I know how it works.
"At the end of the day, nobody's going to have your back, except for yourself and your trainer. I've just got to be patient for people."
He pauses. "I was ready to fight again straight after [his last fight], but people get worried about me, are too scared to fight me.
"It's just kept me in limbo. I'd still like to fight for the British title after this, but God willing I win, and I can move onto bigger things."
He grins . "My dad's been telling me to train every day, and that an opportunity would come. I guess he's right, now one has come."
'Show respect, no matter what - just be kind!'
Boxing remains Chelli's great love, but like many fighters on the British circuit, it is not his only pursuit, with a career in teaching too.
Supply work helps fill his routines beyond the gym, but he has found a way to combine both of his pathaways on the side of them.
"I work part-time teaching boxing to kids with special education needs, with anger management issues," he syas. "They enjoy it."
There's another characteristic low chuckle. "The thing that gets me is they're always asking me when my next fight is going to be."
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What has he learned from these experiences? "There's a lot of things in life to do with mental health. You can overcome a lot."
Chelli pauses again. "Something that affects you may not affect someone else. So show respect, no matter what. Just be kind."
Not that he intends to be kind to Morrell when they meet in the ring. "He's never fought an English-style fighter before," he smiles.
"He's going to see how fit we are. I'm a bit of a thinker. He's going to have to expect the unexpected. God willing, it's a victory for me."
Watch Wardley vs. Dubois only on DAZN
The WBO world heavyweight title is on the line for Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois on May 9, only on DAZN PPV. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Usyk vs Verhoeven (May 23), with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
