Popular British heavyweight reveals talks with feared contender.
Dave Allen is one of the “good guys” of boxing. Humble, modest, and self-deprecating, the heavyweight from Doncaster has become a favourite amongst British fans throughout his career.
This is not because he’s a superstar or because he wins all his fights (he doesn’t), but because the everyday man finds him so easy to relate to. He’s beloved in the way the late Ricky Hatton was, because if you didn’t know he was a boxer, you probably couldn’t tell.
Allen has managed to build a fanbase that supports him regardless of results. This was demonstrated no better than when 8-10,000 showed up to watch his October fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield. A loss be damned, the crowd roared for him throughout the night.
Indeed, if atmosphere alone could defeat a man, Makhmudov wouldn’t have even been able to make it to the ring.
Losing is nothing new to Allen. He’s lost to Dillian Whyte, Luis Ortiz, David Price, and several others. However, his 2024 loss to Johnny Fisher was different, and that’s because most went away thinking Allen should have won.
Allen would avenge that defeat emphatically in a rematch, and on Saturday, he bombed out the overmatched Karim Berredjem in a round.
It didn’t matter that his opponent carried a 12-10 record. Not to his fans, at least.
But Allen has now revealed a potential opponent for his next Sheffield headliner later this year, and it is a dangerous knockout artist familiar to the English public.
In an interview with First Round TV and Propa Boxing, when asked who he would like to fight for his next Yorkshire homecoming, Allen replied, “I think it’s gonna be Zhilei Zhang.”
Allen went on to say that discussions have already taken place for the fight to happen in Sheffield in September, but that he would like to fight a couple of times before then, including on the undercard of Dalton Smith’s first title defence.
“I’ve never backed down from anyone in me life,” said Allen, “and I ain’t gonna start with him.”
Want to get the latest boxing news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
