Dennis Hobson, the manager of Dave Allen, pulled no punches when expressing his take on the contentious fight against Frazer Clarke this past weekend at Manchester Arena. The bout served as an undercard to the rematch between Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith, and the anticipation was palpable.
While Allen, the pro ‘veteran,’ enjoyed the full-throated support of the crowd, Clarke, the undefeated fighter, faced a chorus of boos, reflecting a lukewarm reception from boxing fans so far. The actual fight was far from a sweet science clinic, marred by scrappiness and low blows from Clarke, or ‘Big Fraze’ as he’s known.
In a bout that felt like a messy slugfest, the low blows became the story of the night. Clarke was docked two points in the sixth round and was on the cusp of being disqualified. However, the fight took another turn when Allen, known as ‘The White Rhino,’ had to retire due to a perforated eardrum before round seven could commence.
Post-fight, Clarke—who moved his record to 8-0, with six KOs—shrugged off any talks of a rematch, even though the ending left a lot to be desired.
Ringside during the bout, Hobson didn’t mince words. “Frazer should’ve been disqualified,” he said, expressing disappointment over what he viewed as inconsistent officiating. According to Hobson, Allen showcased enough skills to prove that he can still be a competitive force at the domestic level.
“It wasn’t a classic, but Dave ‘old-manned’ him. He nullified Clarke’s game and had him frustrated,” said Hobson. “Dave got the wrong end of the deal on Saturday and wasn’t protected in there. The referee didn’t do his job.”
As far as Hobson is concerned, he’s cornering for his man and isn’t about to let this slide. He plans to file a formal complaint to the Board. “If the roles were reversed, Dave would’ve been disqualified, no question about it,” Hobson added.
Despite the unsavory nature of the fight and the subsequent controversy, Hobson feels that Allen’s stock hasn’t fallen. “Dave wanted to test himself against what was touted as top-class competition, and he nullified him,” Hobson affirmed. “The crowd’s reception confirmed that Dave still has a lot of supporters and there are definitely more big nights ahead for him.”