Right then, with all the noise around Wardley v Dubois this week, the Saturday-after fight at Eco-Power Stadium has slipped under the radar. It shouldn't. Nine days out from Filip Hrgovic v Dave Allen in Doncaster and there's a lot more on this one than the David vs Goliath framing the promoters are hammering. Make no mistake — this is a proper heavyweight crossroads fight, and the winner walks into a name fight in the back half of 2026.
Why The Stakes Are Higher Than They Look
The reporting has been clear that Hrgovic has signed with a clause that gets him a major name if he wins on May 16. That's a clever piece of contracting because it does two things — it gives Allen a real chance at a household-name scalp on his own patch, and it gives Hrgovic the carrot he needs to take the fight in the first place. The most-named target is Moses Itauma, who's already booked for August 8 at the O2 with no opponent locked. Hrgovic winning at Eco-Power and slotting straight in there is a tidy story for everyone — Frank Warren, DAZN, and the heavyweight title picture.
Hrgovic's Form — Reset Or Recovery?
The problem for Filip is the file. He's lost to Dubois. He's looked vulnerable to power. He's a man who used to be the next big thing in the heavyweight division and who's now framing himself as a contender. The Adeleye and Joyce wins in late 2025 reset the conversation a touch — both clean enough on the cards — but the eye test on those nights wasn't perfect either. He's been a half-step behind the version of himself we saw at the Olympics. Whether that comes back at 33 or whether the prime is just gone is the central question, and a man like Allen in Doncaster is the worst place to find out the answer is the latter.
Allen — Why The Bookies Have It Wrong
Now, Dave Allen. There's a temptation in the trade to keep treating White Rhino as a journeyman who got lucky a couple of times. That's lazy. The man has had a proper run since the comeback — won twice over a domestic favourite on the cards, dropped Huni when he wasn't supposed to be in the fight, and rebuilt his cardio under the new training set-up. He's beaten the version of himself that turned up out of shape and made a story of it. Doncaster is going to be loud on May 16 and Hrgovic is not going to enjoy 12,000 home fans on his shoulder. If Allen can drag the fight into the trenches and make it a proper firefight, the Croatian's chin gets the early questions.
The Stylistic Read
Hrgovic wants this on his terms — long left hand, right hand over the top when Allen gets careless, plenty of clinch work, take the rounds. Allen wants a roughhouse — get inside that left, work the body, drag the man into the ditches and see if the Croatian's appetite still holds. The big punch fight goes to Hrgovic because his single shots are sharper. The ugly fight is much closer to a coin flip and that's what Allen needs to manufacture.
The Itauma Question
Even if Hrgovic wins, Itauma v Hrgovic is a fight Frank Warren has to think about carefully. Itauma is a generational heavyweight prospect with a 95% finishing rate and the WBO mandatory positioning. Hrgovic on May 16 is a known quantity. If Itauma rolls him in three at the O2, that says one thing. If he can't put the Croatian away, that says another. Warren has built his career on knowing when to step a man up and when to give him another tune-up. The clause makes the call easier for him because the fight is contracted; the only question is whether Hrgovic earns it next Saturday.
The Card Around It
The undercard at Doncaster is the usual mix of British prospects and seasoned domestic names. The headline weight is on the heavyweight chief support and the Northern interest in the prelims. That's a good thing for Allen — there's nothing on this bill that's going to draw eyes away from the main event. It's his night to walk into and his night to lose.
Luke's Call
Hrgovic by stoppage between rounds five and eight remains my line. Allen's chance is realer than the bookies say — closer to 35–65 than the 80–20 some firms are putting up. If you're after the value play it's Allen by stoppage at the long odds because the only way he wins this is by hurting Hrgovic in a clinch exchange and the Croatian not coming back. Either way, this is the kind of fight that should be watched live, not caught on highlights. Make a date for May 16.