By Elliot Foster
David Allen has ruled himself out of his next fight.
The Conisbrough heavyweight had been set to return on October 19 in Newcastle.
Allen, who was stopped by David Price inside 10 rounds back in July at the O2 Arena in London, was hospitalised in the wake of his last fight, but was meant to make his comeback at the Utilita Arena in the North East.
But ‘The White Rhino’ revealed that he will now no longer be on the card promoted by Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Sport which is to be topped by an official WBA super-lightweight world title eliminator between Robbie Davies Jnr. and Lewis Ritson, exclusively live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN Stateside.
“I will not be fighting [on] October 19,” Allen wrote on his social media channels recently. “My frame of mind is not one I believe I can put together any kind of training camp for this fight and ultimately, physically, I am not feeling ready to compete.
“I made and make comments all the time that people will question and furthermore blow up to create headlines or drama, but for me they’re just how I feel and the norm.”
Allen had the biggest win of his career at the O2 Arena back in March when he stopped former WBA ‘regular’ heavyweight champion Lucas Browne inside three rounds.
But he says he will be out of action for the foreseeable future.
“I will be taking some time off social media and spending time back in the real world as I feel this is something I have needed to do for a long time,” he continued. “I don’t have the want or the need for anyone’s sympathy, hatred or anything in between and I will be back, I always am, but I’m going to be David for a while because ‘The White Rhino’ is tired.”
Allen’s withdrawal from the card means that Davies Jr. vs. Ritson is flanked by the second fight on her Matchroom deal for Savannah Marshall as well as a tasty light-heavyweight scrap between Lawrence Osueke and Ricky Summers.
Ted Cheeseman is set to make a defence of his British super-welterweight title against Scott Fitzgerald on the card and Joseph Laws will feature alongside Terry Wilkinson, with further additions to the card to follow in due course.