Dave Allen goes out on his shield at Sheffield Arena
In the fickle world of sport, defeat seldom makes the losing competitor even more popular with fans.
But then again, David Allen is no ordinary sportsman.
There was no shame in going 12 rounds with a man mountain in Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov and falling short.
Like all the best gladiators, he went out on his shield.
The kid from Conisbrough just didn’t have the firepower to topple the 6ft 5in Russian.
But he did have the chin and dogged determination to put in one hell of a show for around 9,000 fight fans.
Few South Yorkshire fighters have genuinely filled the Arena, even those who were better boxers than Dave and have won more important titles.
And it speaks of Allen’s uncomplicated rapport with the public – shades of Ricky Hatton and Hyde, here – that he managed to do that.
Typically, there were no excuses, at the end.
At 33, he might not now get the chance to take on the world elite. But there are still titles and paydays to be had at a decent level.
The fight had been a dream to promote: The Doncaster White Rhino versus The Russian Bear Wrestler.
The WBA Intercontinental heavyweight title on the line was only of limited importance; the scrap was about so much more.
Both fighters had reached a crossroads in their careers.
Prior to blows being exchanged, Makhmudov had forecast: “It’s going to be all-out war, kill or be killed”; perhaps an ill-advised comment given his home nation’s bloody invasion of Ukraine.
Having said that, his general conduct and demeanour since touching down in Sheffield made up for the inappropriate remark.
When the fight started, Jamie Moore-trained Allen landed a smart left hook to the chin – wobbling the colossus.
But Makhmudov recovered quickly, and Allen had to absorb the blows that had started to load up on him.
Knowing the fight was slipping from his grasp, Allen tried walking his man down – and there was no shortage of target area on his enormous frame.
Allen was not afraid to get inside and try and rough him up despite the size deficit.
But Makhmudov had built a lead and was determined to hold on… literally, at times.
Twelve rounds seemed to be asking a lot for both exhausted competitors.
Would the Russian be the most fatigued in the defining, closing minutes – something that Allen’s camp had been hoping for when they drew up the game plan?
The answer was no – the Canada-based visitor, 36, had done enough to collect 109-117, 110-116, 111-115 on the scorecards.
He didn’t waste much time in cashing in on the result.
“Anthony Joshua, where are you? I’m coming for you,” he said.
“I’ve already spoken with him and he gave me his word that he will fight me next year. I’m ready.”
He added: “I respect Dave Allen. He has a crazy chin.
“I haven’t seen anything like this in my life. He is a lion.”
Allen, typically, told it how it was.
“He was too big and too good. I’ve never been hit like that in my life.
“He hurt me five or six times and Jamie wanted to pull me out with two rounds to go, but I was always going to see the final bell. I’m not a quitter.
“He’s top 20 in the world and I’m not. It’s as simple as that. I just wasn’t good enough.”
As for his future: “Nights like that, how can I leave it alone? I’ve never, ever seen anything like it.
“I nearly cried. I had to really choke it all back a bit on the ramp. I’m not finished.”
Undercard
There was a setback, too, for Rotherham’s Junaid Bostan.
The 23-year-old slipped to his first defeat in a rematch with cocky London-based Bilal Fawaz, 37; the pair disputing the English super welterweight title for the second time.
The foes had slugged out a draw in their first encounter in January, the Eastwood fighter having suffered undisclosed illness or injury issues since.
Both had their moments, Bostan dispatching some meaty blows to Fawaz on the ropes, later following up with quality body shots.
The Matchroom fighter was the bigger of the two.
However, the Nigerian-born boxer had undeniable, overwhelming self-belief – little seemed to faze him. Even an evil uppercut that landed square didn’t unduly upset him.
There seemed to be genuine contempt between the undefeated rivals and it was adding to the spicy 10-rounder.
The judges came up with a majority decision 96-95, 96-94, 95-95 win for a visibly stunned Fawaz, who seemed to have thought Junaid had won.
Armthorpe’s Josh Padley, 29, (previously 16 1 0) won his first title at super feather, against Reece Bellotti, 34, on the show.
The Jason Cunningham-steered 130-pounder oozed confidence in his ring walk but had to be on his toes in a messy start of holding and grappling, with Bellotti’s lunging head constantly threatening injury.
The come-forward Watford fighter never gave Padley a second to compose himself and dictate, driving inside at every opportunity.
By round six, Bellotti was finding the body and seemingly inflicting pain.
Padley powered back into the reckoning, getting the nod from the judges’ (99-92, 97-93, 97-93) – votes which attracted some criticism from pundits and Bellotti himself, branding them “outrageous.”
The Doncaster man later said: “Definitely a closer fight than the score cards, I had myself needing the last two rounds which in my opinion I got.”
Super lightweight Joe Hayden recorded his 20th straight victory.
The 26-year-old Conisbrough southpaw dominated Welshman Angelo Dragone, 35, 60-53.
‘An honour’
Barnsley’s European super-middleweight champion Callum Simpson and Sheffield promoter Dennis Hobson represented South Yorkshire’s boxing community at Ricky Hatton’s funeral on Friday.
Callum posted: “An honour to be able to pay my respects and celebrate the life of Ricky Hatton at Manchester Cathedral.
“A true legend of the sport and an inspiration to so many, myself included.
“The real people’s champion. There’ll only ever be one Ricky Hatton.”
Hobson noted: “He was such a talented kid, but he still retained that common touch and was humble. There’s a hole now. He left a legacy and he will be remembered forever.”