It’s true: a decision win over Doncaster’s Dave Allen should not lead to a fight against Anthony Joshua, the two-time former heavyweight champion of the world.
However, as always, context is key.
In the case of Arslanbek Makhmudov, a decision win over Dave Allen – which he secured 10 days ago in England – should be taken more seriously than some would have you believe. After all, Makhmudov didn’t just beat Allen on October 11, he did so in front of 9,000 fans in Sheffield; proof once again that Allen, the everyman, can sell, and proof that Makhmudov, by fighting Allen, has boosted his own profile in the UK.
Not only that, Makhmudov claims to have received an indication – and indeed hope – that the fight against Allen was some kind of semi-final or eliminator ahead of him potentially fighting Joshua next year. True, there’s a chance that the gist of those conversations was lost in translation, but Makhmudov, 21-2 (19 KOs), remains adamant they took place. He is also adamant that he has earned and deserves the Joshua fight next.
“I am ready,” he told Sky Sports today. “I came to the UK to win against Dave Allen. By the way, we spoke before the fight with AJ [Joshua] and he gave me a promise – if I win this fight [against Allen], he would fight me. So I am just waiting for a response from AJ. When will we fight? I wait for you and I am ready for you. It is perfect. The UK fans know me, I showed a good performance in my last fight, and it’s just the question: When can I fight AJ? That’s it.”
Sadly, for Makhmudov, two things may be working against him in the race to pin down Joshua.
The first is the nature of his win over Allen – which, although impressive in some respects, was hardly the statement the Russian would have wanted to make when coming over here with Joshua in mind. Makhmudov won the fight clearly, that’s undeniable, yet never did he appear close to stopping Allen, nor producing the kind of show-stopping performance likely to motivate British fans to beg for his return.
Secondly, it has been reported this week that Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, are lining up a show in Ghana on December 20, with the plan for Joshua to then headline a show out there next February. If this plan should materialise, it is doubtful Joshua would turn to someone like Makhmudov as a potential opponent. There are, let’s be honest, better fights to fit the bill. If, for Team Joshua, Makhmudov in Britain isn’t considered sexy enough, it’s hard to believe Makhmudov in Africa gets them all hot and heavy.
