Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has praised fellow boxer Dave Allen`s inspiring transformation from a suicidal gambling addict to a victorious fighter.
Allen has been candid about his past struggles, including depression and losing large sums of money through betting.
Despite facing personal demons, the father of two has significantly turned his life and boxing career around with the support of his family, maintaining his status as a fan favourite in the UK.
Allen recently secured arguably the most significant and impactful victory of his career, defeating Johnny Fisher by knockout in the fifth round of their highly anticipated rematch.
His win was met with widespread celebration from fans who have followed his challenging career path. Anthony Joshua was among those expressing admiration.
Joshua, 35, posted a message highlighting Allen`s remarkable turnaround:
“Dave was suicidal, a gambling addict who everyone thought was finished a few years ago.
Now he`s got a family, a few hundred thousand to his name and got his biggest win.”
The rematch followed a controversial split-decision loss for Allen, 33, against Fisher, 26, in Saudi Arabia the previous December, despite Allen scoring a knockdown in the fifth round of that bout.
This time, at the Copper Box Arena, Allen left the decision out of the judges` hands. He first dropped Fisher with a heavy right hand in the fifth round.
With only moments left in the round, Allen secured the knockout victory by landing a massive left hook after a combination targeting the body.
Speaking after the fight, Allen expressed the depth of the victory:
“This means everything to me. I`ve been written off so many times.
You know what it means? The belt, everything, my kids. I`m gonna have an en suite, they`ll have their own bathroom between them.
At this level, I`m a handful. He overexaggerated the movement, which worked against him.
I`ve got experience, I know the game inside-out. I`m him, but with 30 more fights basically.
He`s my friend. He`s a very good friend of mine. I wouldn`t allow [a trilogy fight] to happen, because it`s not in his best interests.”
Fisher required oxygen following the knockout but later took to Instagram to share his perspective:
“I weren`t good enough tonight but that`s what boxing is all about and that`s what sport is all about.
The best people keep coming and keep going and don`t let one little blip get them down.”
Oliver Croft