An interesting heavyweight match-up will take place on the July 30th Matchroom card in Leeds, as Dillian Whyte will face unbeaten Dave Allen for vacant WBC international belt. The 17-1(14) Whyte, who gave current IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua a great fight last December and is aiming to earn a second crack at A.J, will be having his second return bout since the 7th-round KO loss he suffered. Allen, 9-0-1(6) will be taking a step up in class against the man who is four years his senior at age 28, but “The White Rhino,” as Allen is called, has been asking for a fight with Whyte for some time.
Allen last fought in March, when he scored a dominant stoppage win over the experienced Jason Gavern. Allen has wanted a big test for some time and now he has it. Promoter Eddie Hearn is pleased this fight has been signed, as he Tweeted a while ago.
“After yesterday’s news it looks like everyone wants to fight. – Leeds July 30 just got even better – @DillianWhyte v @davidthewhiter1 is on!” Hearn wrote today.
Of course, the news Hearn is referring to from yesterday is the big announcement that star Gennady Golovkin will fight Kell Brook in London in September. Whyte-Allen is no super-fight but it is a quality match-up, the kind which adds great value for money to a fight card. The July 30 show is topped by Tyrone Nurse against Tommy Coyle in a British super-lightweight title defence, and Luke Campbell-Argenis Mendez, at lightweight, and Josh Warrington-Patrick Hyland, at featherweight, also fight.
It is a solid bill and the addition of the heavyweight bout only improves the card. Whyte, a far more proven puncher than Allen, has to be the pick to win, but Allen is both young and hungry. There could be some cracking fights in Leeds at the end of the month and the heavyweight scrap might be one of the fights of the night. Whyte is looking at facing former light-heavyweight king Antonio Tarver later this year, but he can kiss that goodbye if he gets trampled by Allen.
