Heavyweight Dave Allen got things started in exciting fashion on tonight’s big card at The O2 in London. Facing unbeaten heavyweight hope Nick Webb, Allen scored a devastating, heavy KO in the fourth-round courtesy of a huge overhand right to the head that sent Webb reeling, his head sent through the ring ropes.
Time was 2:59 of the fourth and Allen earned himself a shot at the British heavyweight belt. Now 14-4(11) Allen had spoken of retirement before tonight’s fight, win, lose or draw but he may well want to rethink things now. Webb falls to 12-1.
Allen, who boasted before tonight’s fight how he could beat Webb “without training,” said in the post-fight interview that he had in fact not trained, that he hasn’t trained in quite some time. In the opening two rounds, Webb, taller and bigger, was in charge, yet Allen showed how dangerous he could be in the third when he briefly wobbled Webb. The ending, though, came as a big shock, with Allen, known as “The White Rhino,” unleashing a monster of a right hand that slammed flush into Webb’s head.
Webb, clearly hurt bad, tried to get up but his legs had gone and there were moments after the KO when fans were worried he was hurt in a serious way. Thankfully this was not the case. Allen was very emotional in the post-fight interview and he said that while he will “never be world champion,” he will “never stop” in any fight.
If it’s true that Allen – coming off a June stoppage loss to Tony Yoka (who since failed a drugs test) – hadn’t even trained for tonight’s fight, it makes you wonder what the 26 year old could possibly achieve if he did train as hard as can be.
Webb was a pretty big favourite to win tonight’s fight, but Allen showed, in graphic fashion, how it only takes one punch to turn things around when the big men are in action. If the rest of tonight’s big card proves to be as exciting we are in for some night of boxing.
