Ben Whittaker ‘got annoyed’… Zak Chelli opens up about his near-brawl with ‘The Surgeon’

EXCLUSIVE: Zak Chelli nearly came to blows with Ben Whittaker after an amateur fight.

The pair of talented boxers met twice in the unpaid ranks, with the stars splitting their series 1-1. And following the bout, in which the boxer, who just pulled off an outrageous upset victory against David Morrell, emerged victorious, things got extremely heated.

Zak Chelli and Ben Whittaker had to be pulled apart during heated clash

Prior to their days as accomplished professionals, Zak Chelli and Ben Whittaker made a name for themselves in the amateurs. However, while they both represented England, tensions arose between them in the aftermath of a closely-fought contest.

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In an exclusive interview with Sporf, Chelli reminisced: “I remember, it was The Three Nations finals. The day before, he beat Willy Hutchinson, and I beat someone called Kieran Jones, from Wales, so it was an England vs England final. I beat him unanimously. As we got out of the ring, my dad starts recording, saying, ‘Well done son, you won’. Ben jumps in front in front of the camera, going, No, ‘I won that fight’, he was going crazy, that’s just his personality, he hates to lose, but I beat him fair and square. Then, in the changing room, I remember showing up in my gold medal. He got a bit annoyed. We were maybe about to have a fight again in the changing room, but it got broken up by the Team GB coaches, so it was alright.”

Zak Chelli calls out Callum Smith after David Morrell victory

While having his arm raised against Whittaker was a massive achievement, nothing quite compares to the win Chelli has just had against Morrell. Despite the odds being stacked against him, the warrior secured a last-round stoppage against the Cuban that sent the crowd at the Co-op Live in Manchester, UK, into raptures. And now, the 28-year-old has his sights set on one potential opponent.

Chelli enthused: “I want Callum Smith next. David was meant to fight Callum, and think I’ve taken his position now. I deserve that fight, and I want to go for a world title. I’ve been boxing as a professional for nearly ten years now, so I think it’s the right time.”

Featured Image Credit: Queensberry Promotions/Getty