Dave Allen`s life journey has taken several turns, from working as a substitute school teacher to battling gambling addiction, and ultimately becoming a much-loved figure in the boxing world.
Allen started his amateur boxing career at the age of 16, competing in just ten bouts before deciding to turn professional in 2012, famously turning down an opportunity to join the prestigious GB squad.
Credit: First Round TV
He made his professional debut at 20. However, just three years later, having fought only seven times, Allen found himself struggling financially.
The heavyweight boxer supplemented his income by working as a sparring partner, which earned him around £500 per week, but this wasn`t enough to make ends meet.
This led him to take a job as a supply teacher, a position he admitted he secured by lying on his CV, before eventually making his return to the boxing ring in 2015.
By this time, however, Allen was in the throes of a serious gambling addiction. This started innocuously at the age of eight when he placed a £1 bet on horses with his father.
His addiction escalated significantly after he discovered online betting, which sent his life spiraling downwards.
Speaking candidly on former middleweight champion Darren Barker`s podcast, Allen bravely shared: “It just snowballed really.”
He reminisced about earlier times: “I used to go to the bookies and play on the machines there, they were great times.”
However, he explained the destructive impact of online platforms: “But the online stuff is where it got bad for me because it was so easy, it was numbers on the screen.”
Reflecting on the peak of his addiction, he said it was difficult to pinpoint but noted, “I wasn`t gambling that much in my early 20s, but I was gambling everything that I had.”
As he got older, the amounts increased dramatically: “As I got a bit older, I was gambling way more, tens of thousands of pounds. Maybe into hundreds of thousands overall.”
Allen, who has trained with elite heavyweights like Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Oleksandr Usyk, revealed that the driving force behind his addiction was the compulsion to win, not the money itself.
He stated: “I have no interest in the money at all.”
He clarified his gambling mindset: “The kind of gambler I am, it`s not about the money for me. When the money runs out, that`s the only issue.”
He added: “I never wanted to withdraw any money, I just wanted to keep winning. To be honest, at that time it was like an escapism from real life.”
Allen described a routine shaped by his addiction, which involved going to bed at 6 am and waking up at 2 pm just in time for the first horse race.
Fortunately, Dave Allen has successfully overcome his addiction, largely due to the vital support from his sister and his wife, with whom he has a son and daughter.
He admitted: “Since I was 26, I`ve not been in control of my own money.”
Detailing the measures taken, he explained: “So at 26, I said to my sister, `You`re going to have to look after my money, to be honest.`”
His sister helped him establish a system where, for the past seven and a half years, he relies on her and now his wife to manage his bank account, requesting money when needed.
He candidly shared the depth of his struggle: “Because, if I could still gamble now, I think I would. I`ve spent mad money on mad s***, I was spending ridiculous money and when I boxed Luis Ortiz, I did it for the money, really.”
He even gambled on the day of significant fights: “I think I owed a few quid at the time of the Dillian Whyte fight, I think I lost about eight grand on the day of the fight, I didn`t clear too much more than that really.”
To further support his recovery and stay disciplined, Allen has also become involved in training and managing young fighters.
He sees this role as mutually beneficial: “I need it as much as them, start training the kids seven or eight years ago and that`s my sustainability really.”
Rematch Warning: `He`ll Get Knocked Out`
Allen feels this work has been crucial: “It`s really kept me on the straight and narrow.”
Allen initially announced his retirement from boxing in 2020 at the age of 28, following a tough knockout loss to 2008 Olympic bronze medalist David Price.
However, he returned to the sport a year later and has since fought eight more times, remaining a highly popular and admired figure among British boxing fans.
The 33-year-old Allen is coming off a contested split-decision loss to 26-year-old Johnny Fisher in Saudi Arabia last December.
Now, the pair are set for a rematch this Saturday at the Copper Box Arena, a venue often considered Johnny Fisher`s home turf.
Allen, who knocked Fisher down in the fifth round of their first encounter, issued a clear warning ahead of the upcoming fight: “If he fights me May 17th he`ll get knocked out because I`ll be sharper, a little bit fitter.”
Credit: Reuters
He elaborated on his prediction: “If he boxes me it will be hard work, of course it is. But I don`t think at the Copper Box he`ll hold it together and box.”
Allen believes Fisher will inevitably engage in a brawl: “He`ll get in a fight at some point. I`m not the biggest puncher but I hit too hard for him and I`m too strong for him. He`s tough, though.”
Credit: PA
Oliver Croft