After ten rounds of punishing action, Doncaster Heavyweight, Dave Allen made what could prove to be a wise call by removing himself from further warfare with David Price at the O2 Arena last Saturday night.
After eating jab after sickening jab, enough was enough, but alarmingly, after withdrawing from the contest, Allen received oxygen from the paramedics present, before being stretchered out of the building and straight to hospital for precautionary checks.
Before his fight with Price, Allen talked of facing Alexander Povetkin or Joseph Parker in his next fight. Perhaps it was fitting, that Price, no stranger to a highlight reel knockout defeat of his own, was the man to put those lofty ambitions firmly in check, and save Allen from what could have been horrendous punishment down the line.
A lot of so called “fans” on Social Media have criticised Allen in the aftermath of the fight, and that he went into the fight with no plan B and was only throwing the same two shots all fight long. The reality is that credit must, for once, go to Price, whose jab really was first rate, and showed some long overdue durability to negate Allen, to dominate the contest.
Now the big burning question for Allen is if the time is now right to retire, after yesterday’s scare.
Allen can be proud of his achievements and CV over the last few years. After taking an assignment, and giving a good account of himself in a wide points loss to Dillian Whyte in July 2016, Allen then more credit in defeat with a penultimate round stoppage defeat to Luis Ortiz five months later.
After securing a Commonwealth Title shot in a disappointing points defeat to Lenroy Thomas, and then suffering a heartbreaking technical draw following a clash of head in the rematch, Allen has financial secured himself for years to come, after a series of gutsy displays.
He travelled to France, and took a beating from Olympic Gold Medallist from 2016, Tony Yoka, stopped in the last of a ten rounder. This triggered a chain of fights that would reward The “Doncaster De La Hoya” financially. He detonated a massive right hand that knocked Nick Webb out in four rounds in July last year on a big Box Office bill, and three fights later, he headlined at the O2, stopping former WBA World Champion, Lucas Browne in three.
The defeats to Yoka, Whyte and Ortiz were particularly bruising encounters, and will no doubt have taken time off Allen’s career.
Allen will admit himself he has over achieved, and choosing to continue his career would surely be fraught with danger. Following his loss to Price, Allen would surely be fed to the lions if he wanted to make his way back up the ladder.
This for me is more trouble than it is worth. Allen’s personality is infectious, and it would be good to see him get more involved with television work. He owes the sport nothing, and has made the sport work in his favour, and this should be commended.
One thing is for sure is that Allen’s heart can’t be questioned, and the decision by him and his trainer Darren Barker, was 100% the correct one, despite what the naysayers may think.
