Dave Allen admits ‘I’m s****ing myself’ earlier than Arslanbek Makhmudov bout in X-rated admission
EXCLUSIVE: Dave Allen may be known as the White Rhino but when he faces Arslanbek Makhmudov, he knows it will be a battle of David against Goliath
Boxing’s latest David vs Goliath encounter pits Dave Allen from Doncaster against Arslanbek Makhmudov of Russia – and Allen admits he is “s****ing” himself.
Before he tests his mettle and his stomach against the bear wrestling, 6ft 6in colossal Makhmudov, Allen stripped his kit off to star in an underwear campaign. Perhaps the curiously timed photoshoot was a strategic act of psychological warfare in response to the Russian allowing two of his friends to whack him in the stomach with a sledgehammer – anything for the Instagram views and anything to intimidate Allen.
It’s more likely Allen saw another opportunity to evade his comfort zone, despite being the first to admit his boxing figure will not be compared to David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo any time soon.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Star Sport, after his underwear campaign for Step One, Allen said: “I’ve got one of the worst bodies in the whole world. Never mind the sporting industry, the whole world. I’m terrible genetically.
“My body’s awful, but I am what I am and I’m confident in who I am. I think that takes a lot of time to be honest. I’ve not always been comfortable in my own skin. It’s took a long time to get to where I am now. It took a lot of upsets, a lot of questioning myself, but finally at 33, I accept what I am. I’m happy with it and that’s a nice place to be.”
Allen will be stripping back down to his pants for the weigh-in ceremony, where he will also get an opportunity to stare through Makhmudov’s bristly ginger beard and look into his eyes. The adrenaline will kick in and Allen will not be deterred by the sight of the power puncher, who boasts 20 victories, 19 knockouts and only two defeats, which have come against Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello.
Until then, Allen made a brutally honest and X-rated, four-word admission just before the fight at the Sheffield Arena. When asked how he is feeling, he smiled and admitted: “I’m s****ing myself, to be honest.”
He added: “It’s a big step up for me, for sure. I had a good win last time (he knocked out Johnny Fisher in the fifth round back in May), but I’ve been given the chance to cross the world heavyweight scene.
“I’ve been there, tried to do that numerous times and failed every time, but I just thought, ‘Well, why not have one more go?’ I couldn’t turn it down. It could be an absolute nightmare evening, but I wanted to take the chance. We only live once.
“I did the underwear shoot and I’ll fight one of the best heavyweights in the world as well because, you don’t get nothing if you don’t try.
“I’m willing to try. I’m willing to fail in order to achieve. If I fail, I fail. I’ve failed before, but I’m not going to not give it a go. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to it, but I’m aware it’s a pretty big task.”
The path is treacherous and filled with gigantic Russian punches, but victory could see him land a massive bout against the likes of Anthony Joshua or Deontay Wilder, according to his promoter Eddie Hearn. If anything, Allen may have preferred it if the Matchroom chief had kept that comment to himself.
The White Rhino added: “Eddie had been in touch. He said, ‘Win this fight, Dave, you’d change your life. You’d be this, that and the other.’ I thought, I wish you wouldn’t f***ing tell me that.’”
Dave Allen’s underwear campaign was for Step One. Crafted with innovative fabrics and a commitment to quality, Step One keeps you feeling fresh and supported all day long. Learn more about their range at stepone.life.
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