Allen can skyrocket with the win over Makhmudov

Matchroom CEO Frank Smith says heavyweight Dave Allen could take his career to another level to get a fight against one of the “Top 10” fighters with a win over Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday night, October 11.

Smith did not mention one of the top fighters that Allen (24-7-2, 19 COs) can fight, but the options are limited. The best fighters who bring in money can be counted on one side, and these are guys who probably wouldn’t be interested in Allen. It would be a bad look for them to take so much from talent.

“Dave Allen, with a victory Saturday, can go to a very different level in the sport,” said Frank Smith, CEO of Matchroom Dazn box About what Dave Allen is at stake when he overcomes against Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday.

If Allen wins Saturday, it could open the door for a fight against one of the contenders. But he is unlikely to get one of the true top fighters, such as Moses Itauma, Joseph Parker or Anthony Joshua, to fight against him. The guys are not going to look Allen’s path because he will still be considered a household level.

The fighters who possibly face Allen will crash him back from where he came. I’m talking about these guys:

• Lawrence environment
• Zhilei Zhang
• Sprinkle
• Guido Vianello
• Richard Torrez Jr.

Allen is unlikely to beat any of the fighters, and the rash can be bad for him. He wants Deontay Wilder, but the former WBC champion is looking for bigger play. In an interview this week, Wilder indicated a big fight, and he did not speak of Allen. It would be more of a lateral step for Deontay of his last opponent, Tyrell Herndon.

“He enables himself to be against one of the guys in the top 10. But necessarily just as an opponent, because if you have the commercial value Dave does, he is a bigger ticket seller than some of the fighters in the top 10,” says Smith.

It sounds great what Frank says, but it’s not realistic that Matchroom pulls one of the top guys into heavyweight to fight Dave Allen. No matter how good ‘The White Rhino’ looks like Makhmudov, the best money guys like Joshua, Oleksandr Ulsyk, Parker and Itauma would be out of reach. It would be a horrible idea for Allen to fight with one of the guys, and it would be bad for the fans.

“He can put himself in a position for any of the fights, for any of the big names, and he will get those fights. But he has to get through a difficult test,” Smith said.

Written by Ken Woods, analyst of Ringside Boxing, who has been covering world title fights since 2018.