LONDON -- Zak Chelli, the current British and Commonwealth Super-Middleweight Champion, with Italian roots will be in action this weekend against mandatory challenger Callum Simpson. 

  The fight will take place in Barnsley, England, the hometown of Simpson, on Saturday 3 Aug. 

  Sky Sports recently compared Chelli to Rocky Balboa. Like the fictional fighter, Chelli has both the tradition of fighting opponents in their hometowns and Italian roots.

  "I'm going to have 7,000 people hating me, but I'm imagining it's going to be a 'Rocky' moment when he goes to Russia and wins, and they all start supporting Rocky," Chelli said in an interview with Sky Sports News.

  His father, Zakaria Chelli, was a national boxing champion in Tunisia before moving to Italy, where he also won a title. The senior Chelli then moved to the United Kingdom, not before meeting Zak’s mother, a Neapolitan woman. The younger Chelli calls Fulham, a suburb of London, home.

  “I have family in Naples, and if I win this weekend, I plan to go there for a vacation next week,” he said in an interview with the Italian Insider.

  His mother is planning the holiday as he stays focused on this weekend’s matchup. Chelli brings to the ring a record of 15 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. However, at only 26 years old, he still has much of his boxing career ahead of him.

  His father has been influential in building his career as a boxer, while his mother has been just as influential in building his career outside of the ring. At his mother’s urging, he completed a degree from Surrey University in business, management, and marketing, making him a rare professional boxer who is also a university graduate.

  In the COVID-19 pandemic, Chelli, again at his mother’s urging, became a supply teacher.

  “During COVID, there wasn’t much boxing going on, and my mum said, ‘Listen, get out of the house and get a job,’” Chelli explained.

  The future British champion taught all grades, and the experience left him with a deep respect for special needs teachers.

  “I really respect [teachers who work with children with special needs]; it’s tougher than boxing,” he said.

  His classroom days are likely long behind him. The fighter is promoted Ben Shaloam and Boxxer one of the leading promoters in the United Kingdom. A big win this weekend over the undefeated Callum Simpson (14-0) would put him into fringe world title contender status with more lucrative match-up's in his near future. 

jh-lw