By Jake Donovan

While still on the hunt for a viable challenger to unbeaten, unified titlist Anthony Joshua, promoter Eddie Hearn has managed to piece together another heavyweight fight.

Rumors of a crossroads battle between former heavyweight titlist Lucas Browne and England’s David ‘White Rhino’ Allen have come to fruition, with the two due to tangle sometime this spring.

“While you wait for heavyweight news here is one that has been made,” Hearn declared on Wednesday through his verified social media account. “David Allen@davidthewhiter1 will fight Lucas Browne in April in the [United Kingdom] - full details announced shortly!”

Exactly when and where the bout will take place is still being sorted out, but will land on a show airing live on a Sky Sports platform in the United Kingdom and sports streaming service DAZN in the United States.

Browne (27-1, 24KOs) rebounded from the lone loss of his career, a 6th round knockout loss to top-rated contender Dillian Whyte in which a fight-ending left hook left him unconscious last March in England. Two wins have followed, both of the tune-up variety and taking place in his native Australia.

The forthcoming showdown with Allen will mark his first trip back to the UK since the loss to Whyte. Browne, 39, previously fought five times in England, scoring knockout wins in all but one—a hard-fought 12-round decision over then-unbeaten Andriy Rudenko in Aug. ’14.

Just two fights would follow over a span of nearly two years before receiving his first career title fight. Browne seized the moment, rallying from a 6th round knockdown to stop Ruslan Chagaev in the 10th round of their March ’16 heavyweight title fight.  

The reign was short-lived, as Browne was stripped of the title after testing positive for the banned substance Clenbuterol. His 2016 campaign—which began as a dream run—saw the nightmare only get worse after failing a second drug test later in the year—this coming after having served a six-month suspension and which ultimately canceled plans for a vacant title fight versus Shannon Briggs.

Browne is 3-1 (3KOs) since returning to the ring in June ’17.

Allen (16-4-2, 13KOs) has never been afforded a title opportunity in his six-plus year career but has placed plenty of championship talent along the way.

The charismatic heavyweight from England—who turns just 27 in March—suffered back-to-back losses in 2016 to Whyte and Luis Ortiz, both of whom currently serve as the best heavyweight contenders in the world. He’s also extended 2016 Olympic Gold medalist Tony Yoka deeper than any opponent has managed to date before suffering a 10th round stoppage in their heavyweight affair last June in France.

Three straight wins have followed for Allen. Admittedly a fleshy heavyweight, he has shown improved conditioning in each of his past four starts after ballooning up to a career-heaviest 272 pounds in a 4th round knockout of David Howe last May.

Most recently, Allen claimed a 7th round stoppage of Ariel Bracamonte, on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s Fighter of the Year-capping knockout win over Tony Bellew last November. Allen weighed 257.25 pounds for his undercard bout, but has insisted to Sky Sports that he is already below that weight and intends to return to early career form, conditioning-wise.

“I'm going to have a proper 10-week camp,” insists Allen. My weight is less than the Bracamonte fight already, and I'll weigh around 17 stone five (for the Browne fight).”