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Boxing

DAZN Exclusive - Eddie Hearn names the only man Dave Allen cannot fight if he gets past major knockout artist

DAZN

10, Oct

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Eddie Hearn believes Dave Allen can aim high if he gets past Arslanbek Makhmudov this weekend in what is set to be one of the toughest tests.

Allen’s chances and hopes of success have been dismissed in recent years, but he breathed life into his career at the backend of last year when he dropped Johnny Fisher before losing controversially on the scorecards.

Despite enduring that setback, Allen responded well in an immediate rematch, and he landed a huge shot to become the first person to defeat Fisher.

That result has landed him a lucrative showdown with Makhmudov and if Allen gets past the Eastern European banger, even bigger fights could await him.

One name who continues to be linked to Allen is former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder, whose next move is still unknown as he remains inactive since losing to Zhilei Zhang last June.

With constant speculation attaching him to a 2026 showdown with Wilder, Hearn, Allen’s promoter, is insistent that a solid performance from the Doncaster man could see him earn an opportunity against every fighter in the division apart from one.

“The Makhmudov fight gives him the ability to put himself in the mix with basically every heavyweight fighter in the world other than Oleksandr Usyk,” said Hearn when speaking exclusively to DAZN News.

"If he goes in on Saturday night and has a war with Makhmudov and knocks him out, 9,000 people in Sheffield go f—g nuts. DAZN phone me on Monday saying they can’t believe the viewing numbers for Dave Allen. Tell me a heavyweight you wouldn't put him in with.

“Daniel Dubois, Anthony Joshua, Moses Itauma, Derek Chisora, Wilder. You wouldn't rule out any fight like that for him at all. Part of me just wants to get him paid but another part of me wants to see how far we can take him on this journey.

“Everything will come down to the performance, the result, and the numbers, because we might just even go back to Sheffield and do it with 12,000 people.”