Dave Allen has reacted to the bizarre ending of his heavyweight bout with Thomas Carty, chief support to Katie Taylor’s farewell fight at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland.
The ten-rounder was shaping up to be an entertaining affair, with both men having success.
Ninety seconds into the bout, however, Allen caught Carty on the back of the head unintentionally in the clinch, and the Irishman went face-first through the ropes, tumbling down and landing on his back. The fight could not continue, and referee Emile Tiedt eventually ruled it a no contest.
Fans, analysts and fellow fighters have since offered their takes on the proceedings, with Allen the latest to do so on his YouTube channel.
“When I’m heavy and fit, he weren’t going to hurt me in a million years. So, I smiled at him and he didn’t like that. I go up a bit close, caught him with a left hook to the body and the head, rattled him a little bit I think, then he threw a combination, knocked my head back with up an uppercut.
“But then he grabbed me frantically. I’m not aiming for the back of anyone’s head ever, but I am aiming about here [the ear]. It wasn’t a big shot, I tried to clip him round the ear as I always do, and he’s turned his head into it. It’s gone round the back of the head.
“From there on, I don’t know. It’s not for me to say what’s happened. He’s a good guy, I do like him … I’ve caught him behind the head, not on purpose, he’s turned into and he’s gone through the ropes.
“At the time, I said to the referee, ‘are you not going to count?’ If that was in the middle of the ring I’d have won by stoppage. I lost my rag a little and said, ‘look, he’s jumped out the f***ing ring.’ I couldn’t quite believe it, really, I was a bit shocked.”
Allen then revealed that he would be making moves to have the result overturned to a win in his favour.
“It is a no contest. I probably will speak to the boxing board and ask if it can be overturned to a win. People might say what for, but I felt I was going to win the fight. In there, I just felt a bit too strong and rough for him, and I thought this is only going to go one way. This is going to be over very quickly.”
There has been no statement from Carty or his team as of writing.
