Brook vs Spence Jr: Dave Allen loses split decision to Lenroy Thomas
Sunday 28 May 2017 01:56, UK
David Allen was unable to win the Commonwealth heavyweight championship after a split decision defeat to Lenroy Thomas on Saturday at Bramall Lane.
Allen's rugged, hard-working performance was only enough to sway one judge - he was on the wrong end of a 115-114, 113-115, 115-114 scorecard.
"I wanted to win the belt for my dad," Allen (11-3-1) said afterwards. His father, in 1984, had won on Herol Graham's undercard when Bramall Lane last hosted a boxing event.
Doncaster's Allen consistently shoved his Jamaican visitor backwards into the ropes but suffered when Thomas (21-4) unloaded eye-catching combinations from his southpaw stance.
Thomas arrived with Kenny Porter, Shawn Porter's father, as his emergency corner-man after his usual trainer endured travel problems that prevented him coming to Sheffield.
The Jamaican could not match Allen's work-rate or physical strength, and did well to emerge from several particularly difficult moments, but his punch variety always kept him within a shout of edging the scorecards.
Thomas was deducted a point for a low blow in the middle rounds but, in the latter stages, always looked capable of hearing the final bell despite Allen's relentless pressure. The Sheffield crowd heckled when Thomas was awarded the belt last held by Anthony Joshua, but Allen did not begrudge the scoring.
"I can't argue with that [the verdict]," he said. "I did think he'd quit, but he proved me wrong and didn't give up.
"Will I be world champion? Probably not. But I will keep going. I will keep entertaining."
