“I remember David Haye saying it to me 15 years ago, saying, ‘God, if he commits himself properly, he’ll be a world champion,’” said Jamie Moore.

It might seem unlikely, but a prime David Haye was talking about Dave Allen, the Doncaster heavyweight who is on the eve of the biggest fight in his wholly unlikely 33-bout career.

The fight and stage is already significant for Allen, but victory will take the likeable 33-year-old to the brink of a major fight; not just a headliner, not just the main event, but against one of the major players of the division. Think Anthony Joshua. Think Deontay Wilder. That is what Allen’s coach, Moore, believes is possible.

Yet it all seemed impossible several years ago.

Allen lost big fights, fights he was supposed to win. He underperformed when the stage had been set up for him, he disappeared, fought in the back waters and he has re-emerged.

But, as Moore said, there’s always been something there. Haye was not alone in his assessment of what might have been possible for Allen if he chose to apply himself.

“You know, the amount of good heavyweights he [Allen] was sparring back in the day when he first turned pro, and David Haye, they were all saying the same thing to him, ‘You stick to this, commit yourself to this, and you’ll go all the way.’ And for whatever reason, he didn’t. And I do believe it was because he wasn’t really that concerned, but he realizes he can change his family’s life now.”

That is Allen’s motivation, and that is why Moore believes the changes are not superficial.

“The fuel to this is his family, so ultimately, I want Dave to get the most out of whatever he can in boxing, because for all intents and purposes, after the David Price fight [which Allen lost in 10 rounds in 2019], he thought it was finished. So the way he’s committed himself to it now, he deserves to get everything from it.”

The big Makhmudov, 20-2 (19 KOs), is in his way, but Moore has high hopes for even bigger nights.

“That would mean, in my opinion, someone like AJ [Anthony Joshua] is the golden goose, he’s been so good for British boxing, and not for the same reason, but on different ends of the spectrum really, AJ’s been idolized for years. Dave’s been idolized to a certain extent from a certain type of crowd, and then putting those two together, it really would be like that story in Rocky. Rocky and Apollo. It genuinely is that type of story, and I just hope for him [Allen], he’s such a beautiful person, and we’ve become real close over the years, and I just want whatever he wants for him and his family.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn has said Joshua could return to action either later this year or early in 2026.

Moore has not just seen Allen improve as a fighter and become more dedicated, he has seen Allen become hugely popular.

On his runs around Walkden, near where Moore lives, locals will text the coach saying they’ve seen Allen out running.

“He literally is a cult hero and I said to somebody else, ‘You know, can you imagine Dave does a number on Makhmudov, which I honestly believe he can in the form he’s in, and he gets a type of fight like a Wilder or even, you know, God willing, an AJ, someone like that for him, which is being mentioned for Dave. They will make a film on it. They should make a film on it, because it is a real life Rocky story coming into fruition, especially coming from where when you talk about his career, the way it went, and he was always very popular, but it was more so because of his attitude and being so laidback and not really caring, and then the turnaround, what he’s done. To be able to get from losing to David Price to the point where he’s going to have got to, even now, is unbelievable, but to be able to put himself in a position where he’s fighting ex-world champions will be something for him which his dreams are made of. It’s like such a fairy tale story.”

A few years ago, if anyone proposed Wilder-Allen, it would likely have been dubbed a suicide mission.

Moore, once again, heaps praise on his charge for making the changes that have taken him to the brink of something far more special than a young, self-deprecating Allen could have ever prophesied. 

And Moore plays down his own role in the rebuilding of the “White Rhino.” 

“You’ve got to take your hat off to him in terms of the way he’s done it, the way he’s turned his career around,” said Moore. “I’ve had so many comments, like ‘you want to pat yourself on the back,’ ‘you’ve done wonders with Dave Allen.’ Let’s be brutally honest, it’s all been down to Dave because, I’m not saying we’ve not helped him, but nobody, literally nobody, can do for Dave what Dave’s done for himself except him. No one else can do it. It’s just, for me, it’s all been about timing and trust. We sort of built trust over a period of time, but I think the most important part of it was definitely him having kids. I think that’s given the type of motivation that you don’t have to think about, it just naturally comes. I mean, when the goal is bigger than you, it’s always an easier task and because it wasn’t about him, it was about the bigger picture, he’s dedicated himself to the sport more than he ever has done. “He's shown it in his performances and he’s in the shape of his life and he’s going to have to be because Makhmudov is a handful and there’s only been very, very good fighters who have beaten him. And [Agit] Kabayel [the only man to stop Makhmudov], for me, is right up in the top three or four heavyweights in the world, and he’s the only one who’s done a proper number on him. So, Dave’s got his hands full, but he’s got himself in the right type of shape for it.”

Pictures of Allen circulated of the heavyweight looking lean, while wearing a sweat-drenched t-shirt, but for Moore, fitness is not about what Allen will look like, but what he can do and for how long he can do it.

“Listen, Dave won’t have a six pack on the scales,” Moore added. “He won’t be carrying as much body fat as he has done in the past, but he certainly won’t be shredded. He’s just not that type of guy. But the big difference is he’s healthier. [That’s a] massive difference. He’ll admit it himself, he drank coke, you know, fizzy pop, too much sugars in his diet and stuff like that. And he’s had a nutritionist give him advice. And Joe Hayden, his fighter [Allen also manages boxers], they all live together in our fight house. Joe's been cooking his food for him. So he’s committed himself to it to the extent where his diet’s clean, which means that his body’s healthier. Doesn't matter about excess body fat to a certain extent, because he’s always had that. But the fact that he feels better and he’s healthier. He won’t be a lot lighter than he was in the past, but he’s a bit lighter. And, say, for instance, seven to 10 pounds is a lot of weight to carry around for 12 rounds, [if it’s] excess. So the fact that he’s going to be able to transfer his weight around that little bit quicker, the sharpness in his shots, I think everyone can see even in the videos, he punches so much more fluidly and with sharpness and crispness because he’s just active. It’s not even about the weight, it's just because he’s consistently been punching, he’s just much, much more active.”
Allen was not used by the best as a sparring partner because he can’t fight. He has sparred a who’s who of top fighters because he is durable, yes, but also decent. 

Haye is not the only fighter to say that if Allen could only apply himself he could do something.

Moore believes his fighter is still young enough to fulfil that potential.

After having only a few short weeks to prepare for the first Johnny Fisher fight, Allen stopped the Romford heavyweight in style in their rematch. That is what has taken him to Makhumudov. 

And Moore was one who always thought there was more to Allen than the jovial jester who provided light-hearted entertainment on tap.

“Funny story, actually,” said Moore, recalling a period where they spent some time working together during lockdown after restrictions had been eased. 

“And the first week he came, we all did a run. We call it K2 because the hill at the end of it is like a massive hill, nearly five-mile run, and the last mile or more is just an insane incline. So the whole gym’s gone. It’s [Carl] Frampton, Martin, Murray, Rocky Fielding, Stephen Ward, Jack Catterall, Aqib Fiyaz… everyone’s gone. And Dave Allen comes third out of everyone. And he’s a big heavyweight. He’s been telling me he’s out of shape. I mean, for all intents and purposes, he was. But he come third. And I was like, ‘Fucking hell, Dave, that’s some going, considering the size of you.’ 

“And he went, ‘yeah, I felt OK, actually. I’ve not run in eight years.’ 

“So I laughed and I went, ‘What, you mean eight months?’ And he went, ‘no, I’ve not run in eight years.’

“I went, ‘shut up.’ 

“And he went, ‘I promise you, I’ve not run in eight years.’ 

“So, long story short, Dave has got this weird, freaky, natural athleticism in him, even though he never looked it. The reason he’s got away with it is because he’s got good ring craft. He’s been able to pick that up along the way because he wasn’t fit enough to try and win fights. But he picks up so much ring craft and ways to navigate fights without fitness. 

“When you bring that into the picture now, into the equation at the back end, when you add fitness and durability, strength to all that ring craft and knowledge, it’s a formidable fighter. And this is probably the first full camp where we’ve been able to get from the beginning to the end, where we’ve been able to plan it out properly… It’s unrecognizable compared to the Dave Allen that we’ve all known.”