By Elliot Foster
Dillian Whyte and Dave Allen will do battle for just one title.
The pair will square-off in a heavyweight contest later this month, exclusively live on Sky Sports.
Whyte (17-1, 14 KOs) will meet Allen (9-0, 3 KOs) at Leeds’ First Direct Arena on July 30, as part of the undercard to Josh Warrington’s WBC International featherweight title defence against former world title challenger Patrick Hyland.
With the vacant WBC International crown already at stake, after it was left behind by Anthony Joshua after he won the IBF world title in April, promoter Eddie Hearn made a second appeal to the British Boxing Board of Control –– after having the first refused –– for the fight to also have the vacant British heavyweight title on the line.
But the Matchroom boss took to social media to confirm that the request had been denied and that the fight would just be for the one bauble.
Hearn tweeted that “[The request for the British title to be at stake has been] rejected [and the fight] will be for [the vacant] WBC International [title],” when asked by a fan whether or not the prestigious Lonsdale belt would be up for grabs.
The showdown between 28-year-old Whyte, from Brixton, and 24-year-old Conisbrough-based man Allen will be flanked by the vacant WBC Silver lightweight title fight between Olympic gold medallist Luke Campbell and former IBF super-featherweight world champion Argenis Mendez, while the undercard is stacked with talent as Belfast bantamweight Ryan Burnett defends his WBC International crown and former WBA Continental champion Tommy Martin returns from injury.
Elsewhere, Tyrone Nurse and Tommy Coyle meet in a mouthwatering super-lightweight clash for the former’s prestigious British title, Frankie Gavin and Sam Eggington feature in separate contests ahead of a local derby in Birmingham in October and Gamal Yafai defends his Commonwealth bantamweight strap against former British super-bantamweight title challenger Josh Wale.
And there is action for Darren Tetley, Connor Seymour and former Team GB star Felix Cash, while Jake Ball and Reece Mould will look to keep up their undefeated ledgers alongside Commonwealth Games gold medallist Scott Fitzgerald.
