Boxing: White Rhino Dave Allen is felled by world class Luiz Ortiz

Luis Ortiz stopped the Doncaster heavyweight in the seventh round of their scheduled eight rounder at Manchester Arena.

And the pain did not end there for Allen, who went straight to hospital for treatment on a deep, nasty cut to his tongue.

The man who has led the way in the mouth running stakes among British heavyweights - and there has been some strong competition - will unlikely be silenced, even after absorbing plenty of punishment from a fighter many consider the best on the planet at the weight.

It seemed crazy that someone with Allen’s lack of real experience would take a fight with feared Cuban Ortiz - known as King Kong due to the destruction he wreaks.

But he argued that a decent performance would only see his stock rise.

And you could see his point after Saturday night.

Bluntly speaking, Allen was never in the fight in competitive terms. Ortiz was far too strong, skilled and aggressive to be really troubled.

But 24-year-old Allen will be lauded for his bravery and undoubted resilience.

The punishment he absorbed would have halted far more accomplished boxers in their tracks.

Ortiz is seen as a threat to Anthony Joshua’s quest to dominate the heavyweight division. Though he had yet to fully show he has the skill to trouble the Sheffield-trained IBF king since signing with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, it is clear Ortiz has the power.

The resilience Allen possesses is the perfect foundation for someone to become more than a decent heavyweight. And Allen has skill, even if it is shown far more in the gym than the ring.

He entered the ring on Saturday night, by his own admission, having trained only part time for a fight with a world class operator.

The fact he was not blitzed out of sight in the first couple of rounds is almost miraculous.

If only he could be a full time pro, never out of the gym, relentlessly working on his craft. If only.

Ultimately his stock did indeed rise on Saturday night on the undercard of Joshua’s brutally succesful defence against Eric Molina.

Allen stood firm in the face of heavy shots but he was wobbled as early as the second round thanks to a strong uppercut from the southpaw.

Power shots troubled him throughout and it became clear in the fourth he was having issues with his jaw or mouth. He would admit later every shot to the head felt like he was being stabbed in the mouth.

Still he soldiered on, drawing cheers when he mounted his own offense.

But Ortiz was wearing him down and a straight left opened the door for a barrage of shots in the seventh, by which time the referee had seen enough.

It is doubtful that the British boxing public have seen enough of Allen just yet.