Dave Allen will need every lesson he learned from his days sparring Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua when he takes on Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov this weekend. At the age of 33, Allen, in a decision Eddie Hearn described as “utter madness” specifically chose to fight ‘the Lion’ in what may be described as the scariest roll of the dice any British boxer has made.
Those who are attuned to the sweet science would have seen social media videos of Makhmudov’s pre-fight preparations of fighting bears and allowing his friends to whack his mid-section with sledge hammers. But what about Allen’s training? Has he been punishing himself in the gym, seeking out opponents as big as the 6ft 6in goliath he has willingly pitted himself against? Has he been running laps of Doncaster? With an opponent has terrifying as Makhmudov coming up, Allen naturally made time in his rigorous training schedule to strip down to his boxers and model for an underwear campaign.
Not long before his fight, the White Rhino was posing in front of cameras wearing nothing more than a pair of figure hugging boxers. “I don’t think I’m the worst looking fella in the world, but I didn’t expect a call to get my kit off,” Allen laughed in an exclusive interview with Express Sport, shortly after his underwear campaign for Step One. “A mate of mine got in touch and just said, ‘Underwear shoot, do you fancy it?’ And I just thought, ‘Yeah, why not? It’s only a laugh, really.'”
The final sentence encapsulates Allen’s marshmellow temperament and easy going nature. Unlike fiery characters like Fury and Joshua, Allen is as laidback as you can get – perhaps, if he is being honest with himself, too laid back at times. While his fight record of 24 victories (19 knockouts) and seven defeats (four by stoppage) may not be worthy of his undeniable natural talent, Allen has more experience than many in the fight game.
He has sparred Oleksandr Usyk and Wladimir Klitschko as well as Fury and Joshua. For years, the boxing world has argued who would win out of the latter pair, who may still yet step into the ring with each other.
While it’s the fight British boxing fans have been desperate to see, Allen believes the boat has been missed when it comes to the pair touching gloves. He said: “It was the biggest fight in British boxing for years. I think it still would be. But at this point now, I wouldn’t want to see it, because we wouldn’t know who the best man is, we would know who the best old man is.
“We would know who the best man past their best was. Both of them are not in their prime anymore and that’s not a knock on them both. They’ve had so many hard fights. They’ve had long careers. They’re both nearing 40. So we’re still not going to know who the best man is.
“We could have found that out five, six, seven, eight years ago. Now, it’s a case of who’s got more left. So, I’m not really interested anymore, to be fair. They’ve both done enough in my eyes. I’m always strong on that fighters should do what fighters want to do. If they’re both healthy and safe and want to compete then they should.”
Fury did announce his retirement shortly after his second loss to Usyk, but the Gypsy King has been teasing another return to boxing. Meanwhile, Joshua is still recovering from his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last year and underwent surgery on his elbow in May.
This weekend, all eyes of British boxing will be on Allen at the Sheffield Arena when he takes on Makhmudov. As jaw-droppingly terrifying as the Mozdok-born colossus looks on the outside, Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello have both provided a blueprint on how to beat him.
If Allen can shock the world by overcoming him, bigger challenges in the form of Deontay Wilder or even Joshua could be waiting for him, according to Hearn. Ahead of the biggest fight of his life, Allen is looking at the challenge in the exact way you would expect. “Yeah, I’m s****ing myself, to be honest,” he laughed.
“I was offered a few fights and I was told, ‘If you can beat any of these, you could land Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua. You’ll put yourself on the world scene.’ I’m 33. I have seven defeats. I’ve got nothing to lose. If I lose to Makhmudov, I can come back again at the level I’ve been boxing at, domestic level. I’m proud of the level I’ve been at. I’ve won some good wins. I’ve been a good fighter, but this is a chance for people to remember me as more than just a good fighter.
“But I’ve spent many years dreading. Like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to go headline an arena. I’ve got to go and have a hard fight.’ I remember being 16 or 17, dreaming of where I am now. So I’m nervous and there’s a lot of trepidation about facing a man like this. But I’m proud of myself. The younger me, and the boxers that are coming through now, they’re dreaming of the position I’m in. So I’m going to enjoy it. And I’m going to make the most of it.”
Dave Allen’s underwear campaign was for Step One. Crafted with innovative fabrics and a commitment to quality, Step One keeps you feeling fresh and supported all day long. Learn more about their range at stepone.life.
