Jack Cullen vs Zak Chelli fight analysis
Jack Cullen (22-4-1, 10KOs) is set for a rematch against fellow British fighter Zak Chelli (14-2-1, 7KOs) on the 20th of January at the Echo Arena, Liverpool.
No winner emerged from their first meeting in 2020. A close fight, it was declared a Split Decision Draw.
An interesting clash of styles, Cullen used a sharp jab to disrupt Chelli’s rhythm. While his opponent worked to get inside, unleashing short fast combos in the short windows of opportunity he created for himself.
The result was a controversial one, with many believing Chelli did enough to be awarded the win. Cullen started the fight well but fizzled out going into the later rounds, allowing the younger man to land at ease against the taller fighter. While the 30-year-old bounced back slightly in the 9th, a win for his opponent looked imminent, however the judges saw it differently.
Nevertheless, both fighters will seek redemption as they step into the ring in January. Chelli still looks like a fighter in his prime, with recent wins over good opponents. Cullen on the other hand has had a spotty record as of late losing two of his last five outings.
Chelli’s last fight ended in a fourth rounded Knockout win for the Fulham fighter. While the win sounds good on paper, the win was nothing but a ‘stat-padder’ facing off against 9-129 journeyman, Jordan Grannum.
It may be a necessary confidence boost leading up to such a tough fight, as he lost his BBBofC English Super Middleweight title fight to highly ranked contender Mark Jeffers in July.
The Londoner went into the fight the betting favourite, but was outclassed by Jeffers throughout the majority of the bout. While Chelli picked up his performance in the later rounds, the fight was all but over, and the only way he would’ve been able to claw a victory was a Knockout over the young prospect.
The 26-year-old was a promising amateur fighter, with two wins over Olympic medallist Ben Whittaker. He may have faced a setback in his last fight, but his eyes are still firmly set on winning a world title.
Cullen on the other hand, is the current BBBofC and Commonwealth champion after finishing Mark Heffron within 3 rounds. While this showcases that he is still a top fighter, his form hasn’t been up to scratch as of late.
Previous to his victory over Heffron, he suffered a TKO loss to WBO international champion and ranked number three, Diego Pacheco. He was put down twice in the 4th round before the fight was waved off by the referee.
This marked his second loss of late, as he was stopped in Manchester against Kevin Lele Sadjo in 2021. While Lever’s fighting man may not be in the best form of late, he will be no pushover for Chelli and will be looking to boost his way back up the rankings.
Cullen is currently ranked 14th according to the IBF. Whoever emerges victorious in January should move firmly into the top 15, and likely gain recognition from other sanctioning bodies.
Betting Odds
8/15 Cullen
6/4 Chelli
16/1 Draw
Prediction
While Cullen is going into the fight a heavy favourite, I think the odds are very misleading.
Cullen looks like he may be starting to head over the hill, whereas Chelli is still very much in his prime. Maybe the slightly stronger puncher, the Fulham man did a great job of roughing up ‘Little Lever’s Meat Clever’ in their last bout and think he will find working on the inside easier than last time around.
While Chelli does not have one-punch power and does not often finish his opponents, every punch is thrown with venom, and this time round it may prove to be too much for Cullen.
The Lancashire man has shown recently that he may not be able to take punishment as well as he used to be and I think hurting him early will be the key to Chelli being able to snowball a lead over his fellow Brit.
It will be interesting to see how the men adapt their styles from their last meeting, but I think Chelli will come away with a close yet fair decision victory.
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