Dave Allen's fairytale homecoming at Doncaster's Eco Power Stadium was cut short on Saturday when his coach threw in the towel, handing victory to Croatia's Filip Hrgovic. The heavyweight bout, which saw Allen face his toughest test yet, ended in the third round after sustained pressure from Hrgovic.
From the opening bell, Hrgovic applied relentless pressure, landing crisp, straight shots while Allen struggled to manage range and loaded up on right hands. In the third round, Allen swung increasingly wildly, at one point throwing himself off balance and to the mat. Shortly after, his coach Jamie Moore waved the towel at referee Steve Gray, signalling defeat.
Speaking after the fight, Allen expressed gratitude to his coach, saying: 'Jamie is like my brother. I love Jamie to death. Jamie said enough's enough; enough's enough. Thank you for looking after me. If Jamie thinks that's the right choice, it's the right choice. No excuse. I fought my heart out. Filip Hrgovic was too good for me.'
Hrgovic, 33, acknowledged the crowd's disappointment but stated: 'Sorry guys, I know I'm not the favourite guy here... That's boxing, guys. I'm really happy for this win, and I'm moving forward to become heavyweight champion of the world.' He added that he started fast because Allen was open, aiming to make a statement.
Queensberry's George Warren confirmed that a fight between Hrgovic and 21-year-old British star Moses Itauma is a viable option, saying: 'Yeah, we can make that fight. That fight's there, it's done. Hrgovic signed with Queensberry on the basis that that was one of the options for him.' Hrgovic's sole professional loss came against Daniel Dubois in 2024.
