{"id":570300,"date":"2026-03-28T16:23:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T16:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/570300\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T16:23:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T16:23:11","slug":"efl-stadium-to-host-blockbuster-boxing-clash-as-david-vs-goliath-fight-announced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/570300\/","title":{"rendered":"EFL stadium to host blockbuster boxing clash as ‘David vs Goliath’ fight announced"},"content":{"rendered":"

Doncaster Rovers’ Eco-Power Stadium is set to be used for a blockbuster clash as Dave Allen faces Filip Hrgovic.<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old heavyweight, affectionately known as “The White Rhino” and nicknamed the “Doncaster De La Hoya”, has secured a headline slot at his hometown football ground following an impressive career revival.<\/p>\n

The Croatian opponent represents a significant step up in class for Allen, who will enter the ring as the underdog against one of the division’s most formidable punchers.<\/p>\n

Terri Harper, another fighter from Doncaster, triumphed at the same venue last year when she defeated Natalie Zimmerman.<\/p>\n

Allen’s remarkable comeback began in December 2024 with a contentious split decision loss to Johnny Fisher in Riyadh.<\/p>\n

The performance thrust him back into the spotlight despite the defeat.<\/p>\n

The Yorkshireman gained revenge five months later at London’s Copper Box Arena.<\/p>\n

He claimed the WBA Intercontinental title by flooring Fisher with a devastating left hook in the fifth round.<\/p>\n

\"Doncaster<\/p>\n

Doncaster Rovers’ Eco-Power Stadium is set to be used for a blockbuster clash as Dave Allen faces Filip Hrgovic<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

GETTY<\/p>\n

A homecoming bout followed in Sheffield last October against Arslanbek Makhmudov, the towering Russian who faces Tyson Fury next month, though Allen was comprehensively outpointed over 12 rounds.<\/p>\n

He bounced back impressively last month in Nottingham, dispatching Karim Berredjem in just 57 seconds.<\/p>\n

Hrgovic brings a fearsome record into the contest.<\/p>\n

He has won 19 of his 20 professional bouts, with 14 of those victories coming by knockout.<\/p>\n

\"Dave | <\/p>\n

GETTY<\/p>\n

The powerful Croatian has suffered just one defeat, falling to Daniel Dubois, who remains the only boxer to have beaten him at professional level.<\/p>\n

Allen’s record stands at 25 wins from 35 fights, with eight losses and two draws, making the statistical comparison stark.<\/p>\n

Hrgovic has developed a reputation for defeating British heavyweights, adding further intrigue to this matchup where Allen will need to produce something extraordinary to emerge victorious.<\/p>\n

Frank Warren, the Queensbury promoter, emphasised the magnitude of the occasion for both fighter and city.<\/p>\n

\"BoxingFive facts about boxing that fans might not know | GBNEWS\/PA<\/p>\n

Warren said: “May 16 will be a magical experience for Dave Allen. <\/p>\n

“He is taking on a world-class operator in Filip Hrgovic, but he gets to do it on his own doorstep at Doncaster Rovers.”<\/p>\n

Warren added: “This will be a huge occasion for the city of Doncaster and for the fans who have backed Dave throughout his career.”<\/p>\n

The promoter described the contest as a “Dave vs Goliath” battle, acknowledging Hrgovic’s habit of defeating British heavyweights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Doncaster Rovers’ Eco-Power Stadium is set to be used for a blockbuster clash as Dave Allen faces Filip…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":570301,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[571],"tags":[64,63,802,280188,596,44,13296,588,85],"class_list":["post-570300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-boxing","tag-efl","tag-football","tag-news","tag-sgg","tag-sport","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=570300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/570301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=570300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=570300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=570300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}