Dave Allen got back in the win column on Saturday night with a third round knockout of Dorian Darch and was in emotional mood after the victory.
The 27-year-old was fighting for the first time since his punishing retirement defeat to David Price in July last year, which left his career in question.
It was the Yorkshireman’s fifth defeat as a professional and easily his most damaging, and some thought he would choose to hang up the gloves.
He is back and winning again, though, taking his record to 17-5-2 with the comfortable victory over the Welshman.
He coasted the first two rounds and then turned it on in the third, putting Darch down twice with body shots in Sheffield.
The White Rhino then paid an emotional tribute to his fans in Yorkshire, who gave him a rapturous reception in the ring.
‘The fight was what it was, but what I’ve got, titles, money and all that, it doesn’t add up to this,’ Allen told Sky Sports.
‘I’ve seen world champions and fighters way better than me, they don’t get this, and this, to me, means the world.
‘I’ve waited for this moment for a long time and I wasn’t sure it would ever come.
‘I have to thank everybody in here and everybody at home, because after the Price fight it would have been easy for everybody to give up on me.
‘But they’ve stood by me and I’ve come back because I love the game and I love everybody in it, well not everybody, but nearly everybody.
‘I don’t really have anything else but my boxing and whatever I’ve got is because of boxing.
‘I can’t leave it just yet.’
KO FOR ALLEN! ??? ?@davidthewhiter1 knocks out Dorian Darch in the 3rd round
? Kid Galahad v Claudio Marrero is up next on Sky Sports Arena! pic.twitter.com/swp42Gi4kG
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) February 8, 2020
Allen knows just how heavy the loss to Price was, which saw him stretchered out of the ring on oxygen, but thanked everyone involved with getting him back into the ring.
‘I want to say a massive thank you to first the British Boxing Board of Control,’ Allen continued. ‘They have been the most stringent for testing, I’ve got to thank them so much because they’ve made sure my safety is paramount. I have to thank them for doing their job.
‘Everyone at the Claremont Hospital and then, especially thanks to Eddie [Hearn] and everyone at Matchroom, they’ve been by my 100% of the way.
‘Paul Reddy, big up Paul Reddy, he’s been on the end of the phone for the last six weeks.
‘I sent Eddie a few snotty messages as well asking what’s going on, it was a real stress.
‘But I have to thank Eddie and everyone at Matchroom.
‘It means a lot, I’m that kind of man, people that do nice things for me I never forget, so thank you to all I’ve just said.’
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