Ben Whittaker has shared his thoughts on David Morrell’s defeat to Zak Chelli, comparing the result to one of the biggest shocks imaginable in sport.

“Yes, it was something like England beating Panama or something like that in the World Cup.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen and I think Morrell knew it wasn’t supposed to happen. He probably just showed up thinking it was going to be an uncomplicated job. He really got caught with a stupid shot and that’s boxing for you,” Whittaker said, discussing the defeat in an interview with Ring Magazine.

Morrell entered the May 9 fight as the ponderous favorite, but suffered a 10th-round loss to Chelli in one of the biggest upsets of 2026. Few observers predicted that Chelli would triumph over the highly regarded Cuban challenger.

While Whittaker was critical of Morrell’s approach, he stopped brief of dismissing the Cuban’s future chances. Instead, the British featherlight heavyweight suggested that the result may have been Morrell underestimating his opponent rather than a sign that his career was permanently off course.

“But if they do it again, I don’t think it’ll be the same. I think he’ll come in and do the job for him,” Whittaker said.

Whittaker is currently preparing for his June 27 fight in Brooklyn, Modern York against Peter “Popeye” Dosenovic, which will be his first professional fight in the United States. The undefeated British featherlight heavyweight continued to climb the rankings and has recently been linked to several notable fights in the country, including a potential clash with Anthony Yard.

Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.

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Last update: 2026/06/09 at 2:17

Moses Itaum’s recent opponent, Dillian Whyte, weighed in on the rising star’s chances against former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

After 14 professional fights, Itauma has yet to fight longer than 18 minutes, going the distance in two six-round fights and stopping all of his remaining opponents within five rounds, including challengers Whyte and Jermaine Franklin Jr.

While the 21-year-old faced two world heavyweight title challengers, Mariusz Wach and Whyte, the Kent talent did not share the ring with a fighter who has won world accolades. As for the prospect of fighting Wilder, he said he would like to have the “legend”‘s name on his record.

I’m talking to iFL TelevisionWhyte, who Itauma was dispatched within two minutes last Augustpredicted that Itauma would win if given the “Bronze Bomber” assignment, but warned that fighting the hard-hitting American would still be risky

“Yes, [Itauma beats Wilder]but Wilder is a risky fight because Wilder just has this crazy equalizer that he throws.”

While many would love to see this clash, it doesn’t seem high on the British team’s list at the moment. Itauma will return in August, and the main opponent will be Filip Hrgovic.

If he passes this stern test, he is currently the mandatory challenger for the WBO title, meaning he is first in line to the winner of the rematch between champion Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley. He is also well-positioned to fight for the WBA Regular belt against the winner of Murat Gassiev vs Tony Yoka or face IBF top contender Frank Sanchez.

As for Wilder, after the American scored points in April, a rematch with Derek Chisora ​​was discussed.

“Rolly, I’d love to keep doing it. Let’s do it. If not, give up the title, do what you have to, but we just want to keep fighting, stay busy and fight all the top guys and have some good fights,” Catterall told Ring Magazine.

The comments come amid uncertainty about Romero’s next move. Reports recently indicated that the WBA champion is expected to return this summer, although the hard task of his first appearance since defeating Ryan Garcia in May 2025 is not expected.

Catterall’s frustration may stem from what happened to Giyasov before the two met in the ring. The WBA ordered Romero and Giyasov to negotiate an October 2025 title fight, but the fight never materialized. After months without securing a title shot, Giyasov moved on and faced Catterall on May 23 at the “Glory in Giza” event at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt.

Catterall scored a 12-round unanimous decision victory in that fight, improving his position in the WBA rankings and putting himself in line for a shot at Romero’s title.

Following the victory, the WBA ordered Romero and Catterall to begin negotiations for a championship fight. Catterall, however, has made it clear he has no intention of spending months on the sidelines waiting for the situation to resolve itself.

The 32-year-old had already revealed that he left the WBO route because he did not want to wait for the mandatory title fight, and he repeatedly emphasized his desire to remain busy against the top fighters of this division.

Catterall’s message to Rolly is clear: defend the title against the mandatory challenger or step aside and let the division move forward.