Dave Allen shakes his head at how his homecoming against Filip Hrgovic came together, but the British heavyweight hopes to snatch his “million-to-one shot” this weekend.
The affable, self-deprecating “White Rhino” packs a punch, although he readily accepts that a fight against Hrgovic – who is ranked in the top 10 by all four major sanctioning bodies – is a mismatch on paper.
Hrgovic will be looking to use the bout as a springboard to challenging for a world title, with Allen simply grateful for a chance to fight at Doncaster’s Eco-Power Stadium, a 10-minute walk from his home.
“I don’t know how I got here, really, how I’m boxing Filip Hrgovic on Saturday,” a grinning Allen told the Press Association. “I’m still none the wiser, don’t know whose idea it was. Mental isn’t it?”
“I hope we find out on Saturday when I chin him. It doesn’t make any sense. I’m actually quite chilled about it, because anyone who knows boxing knows I’m a million-to-one shot – and I love that.
“I’ve watched him, and I feel like there’s things he does do, which I feel like I can take advantage of. But at the same time, he’ll be watching me and thinking exactly the same thing.”
Allen (25-8-2, 20 KOs) hopes home advantage will benefit him against the Croatian, whose only defeat in 20 professional contests was against recently-crowned WBO champion Daniel Dubois two years ago.
“I’ve been going to the stadium every day and walking round the perimeter just to get used to it,” Allen said. “When you go to the arena on the night, you get a weird sensation – that nervous feeling like you need the toilet. So I’m just getting ready in anticipation for Saturday because it’s such a big night.
“I never thought I’d do too much with the boxing. I knew I had potential but I never really thought I’d live it and I always thought it would pass me by and I’d end up having a very normal average life.
“I haven’t done it the conventional way but here I am anyway so I’m very proud of it, as random as it is.”
Allen has used the fight to reconnect with old friends from school – although former classmate and One Direction star Louis Tomlinson will not be in attendance as he has commitments abroad.
“My old teacher gave me a yearbook, so I started making a group chat on Instagram and I added all these people and we’ve all been conversing,” the 34-year-old said.
“And I thought, ‘I’m not even the most famous person in this chat, it’s heartbreaking’. Louis is in Mexico but I’ve given tickets to some of them to come on Saturday, I haven’t seen them for 18 years!”
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