David Allen Confident It Will Be All Whyte on the Night After Tough Times

Thanks to an active Twitter account and the power of positive thinking, David Allen has the chance to ignite his career on Saturday.

The English heavyweight (9-0-1, 6 KOs) became embroiled in a social-media spat with rival Dillian Whyte earlier in the year, paving the way for a potential fight between the pair.

However, circumstances suggested it might not happen. Having had just 10 fights as a pro, Allen was rejected by the British Boxing Board of Control as a suitable candidate to fight for the Lonsdale belt.

A new plan was hatched for the bout to take place late in 2016, yet the landscape changed once Kell Brook—Allen's new gym-mate in Sheffield, England—agreed to face Gennady Golovkin on September 10.

With Brook booked to top the bill of a pay-per-view card at the O2 Arena in London, Allen was left with a tricky choice to make.

Rather than possibly miss out on a fight with Whyte, he gambled. Despite having just 21 days to prepare, he agreed to face his rival in Leeds, England, on July 30.

"I don’t think this fight would have happened later in the year. When Kell signed to fight Golovkin in London, there was suddenly no show in Sheffield," Allen explained.

"It was then a case of waiting again. However, if Kell beats Golovkin, he’s going to America. I do not think he will be fighting in Sheffield again. If that's the case, I didn’t see where the next Matchroom card was coming this way (to south Yorkshire)."

Despite the short notice, and despite being advised by both his trainer, Dominic Ingle, and his manager, Stefy Bull, not to take the fight, he signed up for the card at the First Direct Arena.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Sure, it's a risk. But it's one Allen feels is worth taking right now. Boxing is all about timing, and that's not just when you're wearing a set of gloves.

"I believe Dillian is beatable. This fight is in Leeds, a city where I lived for three years. I could either take it, or else do four-round fights on small-hall shows," he added. "I obviously didn’t have as many weeks as I’d have liked to prepare, but I took the opportunity.

"I’m confident of winning. If it wasn’t against Dillian Whyte, if it was against someone who I think is world class, I wouldn’t take it on. I only agree to fights I think I can win.

"I’m not going to be 100 per cent on Saturday, but I will give it 100 per cent. I could have been a lot physically fitter, but mentally I’ve never been in a better place. I’ve never wanted a fight more in my life."

There's a tone to Allen's voice as he discusses the bout that suggests he's genuinely excited by the prospect of facing Whyte.

He hasn't always been this enthusiastic, though. Since turning pro on December 2012, sightings of the man nicknamed White Rhino have been rare. He's faced more barriers than an Olympic hurdler.

The son of a fighter, Allen was held up by a dispute with a former manager, as well as his own state of mind. Opportunities fell through, leaving him to consider turning his back on the sport entirely.

"I’ve retired and un-retired about five times," he said. "There were times when I pulled out of fights because I wasn’t mentally right. I had issues with my mental health.

"I was offered the David Price fight on June 25, but that fell through. Twice I accepted previous offers to fight Dillian Whyte, but they fell through. I once accepted a fight against Audley Harrison. I’ve accepted fights all over Europe.

"Looking back now, they are fights I would have lost, but they were all opportunities I felt, at the time, would further my career. When I took the other fights, I wasn’t really in a position to win them. I wasn’t good enough."

That was then. Now the situation is different. Like the recent weather in Britain, Allen's outlook is much brighter. After the dark days, it is time to shine.

The Yorkshireman believes he is good enough to beat Whyte (17-1, 14 KOs), a domestic rival who made his name off the back of being a plucky loser against IBF world champion Anthony Joshua.

That fight saw Whyte cast as the dangerous long shot with little to lose but his unblemished record. He taunted Joshua—a man he had defeated in the amateurs—into a battle, but he eventually lost the war.

Now, however, the boot is on the other foot. Allen is the underdog who has talked his way into the fight.

Part of the reason for his high level of self-belief is a return to his roots.

Having started out at the famous Ingle gym in the Wincobank district in Sheffield, England, he's returned to the building directly opposite the local church in search of some guidance. With faith in his own abilities restored, he's ready for the biggest fight of his career to date.

He admits to not always being the easiest to deal with: "If someone normally tells me to do something, I want to do the opposite. That’s just what I’m like."

However, with Ingle, there's no inclination to rebel. Even with the experienced trainer away for the final stages of preparation, gym regulars Amer Khan and Junior Witter have kept Allen focused.

Allen's training regime hasn't stopped him from keeping busy on Twitter. Indeed, had he not been so active on the platform, the fight with Whyte may never have materialised in the first place. The back-and-forth exchanges between the pair led for calls for them to settle the dispute in the ring.

After several false starts, they will get to make an impact with their fists, rather than with 140 characters or less.

"People think it’s because it is personal between me and Dillian, but that couldn’t be further from the truth," Allen said of the social-media feud. "I felt I had to do that [stir the pot on Twitter] to get the fight in the first place. I wasn’t going to get it through my achievements, so I did what I had to do.

"I’m hungry for the fight because I want to better my life by furthering my career.

"I’ve got respect for him [Whyte] as a fighter—I know he’s good. I want to be in his position in three months. I want people snapping at my heels, saying they want to fight me. He’s a good character for boxing. I can laugh at what he says...and it’s often at my expense."

Whyte should not underestimate the long shot in the opposite corner, even if Allen—who, per Odds Shark, is priced up at 333-100 for victory—lacks big-fight experience.

Many on Twitter have pointed to Allen's disappointing performance against journeyman Jason Gavern last time out as a reason to suggest he's heading for a rather nasty fall. There were, though, mitigating circumstances for the below-par display in March.

Allen—who has previously sparred with Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury—was due to face Richard Towers in an eliminator for the British title, only for the latter to withdraw at late notice.

American Gavern stepped in to fill the void, but the night no longer carried the same level of importance or interest. Allen was understandably flat, yet he still got the job done.

This time, though, he expects to show his true colours: "I believe I will improve tenfold. When I’ve sparred world champions, I’ve raised it up to their level. Even after all the frustrating moments, people have always seen the potential. I know one day it’s all going to click in the ring—I’m hoping that will be Saturday."

Win, lose or draw, expect Allen to be busy on Twitter.

Describing it as his "place of solace," he revealed how he attempts to reply to everyone who mentions him, even those who are less than kind with their words.

"People must think I’m unintelligent, yet I’ve got three GCSEs and a BTEC diploma. They make it easy for me," he said of his Twitter critics, adding that it's all "water off a duck's back."

Whether it's due to love or hate, Allen's number of followers has been on a dramatic rise of late. If he finds a way to beat Whyte at the weekend, so, too, will his status in the heavyweight division.

Rob Lancaster is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.