Teacher quits job, dreams of getting rich with boxing

When Covid-19 broke out, 24-year-old Chelli had to put aside his dream of professional boxing. He accepted a job as a teacher at a high school. But the super-middleweight boxer soon realized he wasn’t for the job, and dreamed of the glitz and opulence of vacations in Dubai.

Chelli even practiced boxing for many classes, and the students knew that sooner or later their teacher would return to the ring. After a year of absence, the Fulham, London-born boxer will return to the tournament organized by Boxxer in Newcastle this weekend.

He will fight Diego ‘Dynamite’ Costa – an undefeated opponent in the reserve match, warming up for the main match – Savannah Marshall’s belt defense against Femke Hermans on April 2.

“I had to find a temporary job, because of the effects of Covid-19,” Cheli told the British newspaper Sunsport March 30th. “I have a degree in business management. So I wanted to take advantage of that, and work as a part time teacher in high school. I teach different subjects and different levels. Grades 7 and 8 are the hardest, but it’s great up there. Whenever I go to class, many people say that I’m not a teacher. I sometimes have a vibe about me, and many people catch me practicing in class. told me that I was their favorite teacher. That was great. The kids were happy, so am I. But I’m so excited to be back in boxing.”

Fans are eager to see Chelli – a graduate of the University of Surrey – re-appear after an impressive performance at Boxxer’s tournament in November 2020. At that time, he beat Vladimir Georgiev in the semi-finals, then knocked out Mike McGoldrick three times before winning by knockout in the second half of the final.

But Covid-19 destroyed the schedule of training and matches, forcing Cheli to follow the work at school. “I studied all subjects, drama, music, math, science. I studied them all, but English was the worst subject for me. I maintained a daily practice after graduating from university. I I study and practice at the same time. But working from 9 am to 5 pm every day takes a lot of my energy.”

For a living, Chelli sometimes even doubts his ability to return to boxing. But the desire for titles and big bonuses helped him keep ambition. “Sometimes, I think it’s very difficult to get back in the ring,” he said. “But when I have to do administrative work, from 9 am to 5 am, I find myself not suitable for this lifestyle. I hate it. I want to be somewhere on the beach when I’m young. I don’t want to work. my whole life and then retire when I’m old. The only way to do that is to get rich from boxing, and I’m determined to come back.”

Oleksandr Usyk – who holds four heavyweight belts WBA (Super), WBO, IBF and IBO – once wished Chelli good luck before his juniors fight and beat Bohdan Harkavyi in Kiev in 2021. Chelli was noticed by Usyk when representing for the team. England competed at the World Youth Championships in Kiev, where the two boxers first met in 2014.

Chelli’s family will be there to support him in person at Newcastle this weekend. Besides the re-appearance, the 24-year-old boxer also wants to enjoy his mother’s Italian food after the trial and encounter on April 1.

“I was born in London, but my mother is Italian, and my father is Tunisian. After the weighing session, I wanted a delicious pizza. My mother always makes pizza every Sunday. When the British have their barbecue. on Sunday, in Italy, we will eat pizza on this day. It’s hard to stay in shape when my mother always buys a lot of cakes and chocolates. So I have to work out harder,” he said.

Regarding the showdown with Costa on April 2, Chelli emphasized: “I want to win by knock-out to have the opportunity to compete for the title, and I want to go to Dubai to relax.”

Hong Duy (according to Sunsport)