Mark Robinson / Matchroom BoxingDave Allen is to fight a “world-class” heavyweight by the end of May, according to his trainer and manager Jamie Moore.
The 33-year-old Allen responded to his defeat in November by Arslanbek Makhmudov by stopping Karim Berredjem in February, and his promoters Matchroom are preparing another big fight for him against either China’s Zhilei Zhang or another leading heavyweight.
Allen revived his career in May 2025 when he stopped his fellow Englishman Johnny Fisher, and despite the defeat by Makhmudov – who on April 11 fights Tyson Fury – Moore believes he has “another three or four fights left” and is continuing to improve.
It also seems likely that a third fight with Fisher is in his longer-term future, but until then Moore expects him to remain at a higher level, and he told BoxingScene: “Through Dave’s popularity, and Eddie’s new-found love for him, in the second coming, he really wants to try and make a play for it for him, which I’m glad about, ‘cause Dave’s probably only got another three or four fights left in him, and then he’ll be done.
“He’s promised me again 100 per cent to training camp. There’s another world-class fighter maybe in the mix as well, so there’s a couple of names bouncing about, but it looks like, towards the end of May, we’re gonna be in a proper fight again.
“I like either of those fights. Talking about the Zhang fight, as good as he is – Zhang’s a world-class fighter; he’s big; he’s a southpaw – he’s getting on now. He’s dangerous for three or four rounds, and then he starts to struggle, and Dave – could he be conditioned a bit more in terms of his weight? Absolutely. [But] his fitness is getting better every time.
“He’s training, back to back on camps, every time now, so his conditioning’s getting better and better – bearing in mind, this is really only two years in. He should be 15 years in. I’m trying my best to get him there and he’s on it. He’s on board with it now. He knows he’s near the finishing line.
“If we get the absolute best version of Dave Allen, in front of Zhang, for instance – or anybody else – he can win those fights. He now knows, watching the Makhmudov fight back, that he could have won that fight.”
One year and one day before Allen defeated Berredjem, Zhang, 42, was stopped in his most recent contest, against Agit Kabayel.
