Five potential foes for Dave Allen to face next.
On Saturday, Dave Allen was stopped in the third round by Filip Hrgovic, reaffirming something all of his fans knew: As beloved as he is, he has never been a world-class operator.
This is something Allen himself knows, as the Yorkshireman is a paragon of modesty and self-awareness. And if nothing else, it is this that every fighter should strive to have in common with Allen.
All the same, with his 9th defeat (and his 5th inside the distance) occurring the other night, Allen’s level is very clear, and he claims to only want four more fights before he calls it a day.
With that in mind, we present to you five options for who the Doncaster man could face next.
5. Richard Riakporhe.
This is listed here purely because it has been spoken of as a potentiality. Richard ‘The Midnight Train’ Riakporhe (20-1, 16 KOs) looks to be a pretty scary addition to the heavyweight ranks.
Having recently blasted through Jeamie TKV, Riakporhe is the current British champion who also held the Lord Lonsdale Belt at cruiserweight.
While he isn’t considered one of the very top contenders, his danger is apparent for everyone to see. And if Allen is wanting a guaranteed win, Riakporhe is not the one to go for.
In fact, Allen outright stated after the Hrgovic fight that he didn’t think he’d beat Riakporhe. Though ultimately, it depends on how much he wants to hold that British title.
4. Nelson Hysa.
Nelson ‘The Albanian Eagle’ Hysa (24-0, 22 KOs) looks like a problem when you look at his paper record, but there isn’t a whole lot of substance to his actual résumé.
And here’s something else: He is 41 years old. And apart from that, all we know about Hysa is that he can punch quite hard. So, he’s essentially one big mystery.
It is known that Hysa was offered to Allen amongst a list of opponents, but he went with Arslanbek Makhmudov instead. Perhaps this bout could be revisited.
Admittedly, though, it’s potentially quite dangerous, and someone with more certainty surrounding them may be a better pick.
3. Labinot Xhoxhaj.
Labinot Xhoxhaj (22-0-1, 17 KOs) is somewhat similar to Hysa, meaning he owns a good record without having a great deal to make up the numbers.
The current European champion, the Kosovan contender upset the then-unbeaten Oleksandr Zakhozhyi to obtain the strap in 2024, then upset Mourad Aliev (also unbeaten) in his first defence.
Those remain the most notable wins of Xhoxhaj’s career, and they don’t tell us too much about how good he actually is. At the moment, he represents an interesting proposition for someone who wants a go at the European title.
So, hey, maybe Allen will fancy his chances.
2. Joe Joyce.
A former top-rated contender who was once considered one of the best heavyweights in the world, Joe ‘The Juggernaut’ Joyce (16-4, 15 KOs) has faced a rapid decline since his twin defeats at the hands of Zhilei Zhang.
A further loss to Derek Chisora looked even worse for the Londoner, and he has been out of the ring since a decision loss to the aforementioned Hrgovic last year.
Now 40 years old, Joyce’s immediate future is in serious question, but he could do worse than a domestic dust-up with Allen.
A meeting between these two would see the collision of two of the most granite-chinned men in Britain colliding, which has the potential to be some very fun stuff.
It should be said, though, that Joyce’s loss to Hrgovic was a whole lot more competitive than Allen’s. But of course, that doesn’t necessarily dictate how this fight would go.
1. Dillian Whyte/Derek Chisora.
This may be cheating, but either of these two would work for a fight against Allen. Both have fought each other, and both are still officially active.
In the case of Dillian ‘The Body Snatcher’ Whyte (31-4, 21 KOs), what he has left is very unclear. He didn’t look great in a win over Ebenezer Tetteh, then was struck down in a single round by Moses Itauma.
That latter fight is the last we saw of him, but he remains a name relevant enough for Allen to face. And honestly, he is probably the most winnable option on this list.
Though Allen has already lost to Whyte, that was a very different version of the Brixton slugger. A clash with between these two iterations of the same men would be very different.
As for Derek ‘War’ Chisora (36-14, 23 KOs), he is a little bit more clear in terms of ability. Coming off an entertaining defeat to Deontay Wilder, he has ceased talks of retirement and expressed desire for a rematch with the American.
However, a fight with Allen would likely gel really well. Both tough battlers with big hearts, there is really only one way a clash between them could go. And at 6’1½” with a 74-inch reach, Chisora roughly matches Allen’s dimensions like few others do.
If Chisora is to fight on, how about this for his next dance? This is a match of fan-favourites that would likely sell quite well.
Does anyone object?
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