[Rocco Del Sesto]

01/18/67 Wednesday
Solihull, England
Dave Barber – HW (7-1-0) vs. Vernon Allen – HW (2-11-0)

Dave Barber - Rating 1 Ireland
Heavyweight 1965-68
12 wins / 5 losses / 0 draws / 5 KO

Hometown/Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Defeated MW-Joe Somerville(34-51-4,9), Vernon Allen, Tom Calderwood, Johnny Ould and Guinea Roger(13-34-1,11)twice. Lost to Vernon Allen, Lloyd Walford twice and Giovanni Biancardi(29-2-0,14).

Vernon Allen - Rating 1 Australia
Heavyweight 1965-82
12 wins / 24 losses / 1 draw / 3 KO

Hometown: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Allen's career started out 4-16-0. His only wins were against Tommy Woods and Dave Barber in 1966 and then won 2 straight fights in 1968 by disqualification of his opponents. He lost three fights to Derek Groombridge while also loosing to Vic Moore, Jimmy Tibbs, Johnny Ould, Barber and Woods to name some we've seen rated into the game. From 1969 through to Sept 1972 he manages to put together a 6-5-0 record against no one you've probably heard off. After loosing a 10 round decision in Sept. 1973 to a Greg NcNamara(30-13-5,4), Vernon steps out of the ring for 3 years before coming back in November 1975 winning a 6 round decision against I.M.Gentle(Like that handle?!) and then an 8 round decision against Hunter McHugh(13-7-5,7). In April 1976 he fights a Sentiki Qata for the vacant New South Wales Heavyweight Title. Qata wins the 10 round decision.

Vernon then disappears from the boxing scene again, this time for over 5-1/2 years before staging a 3rd comeback in November 1981. Over the next 5 month period he looses a 6 round decision to Kevin Wagstaff, fights a draw with an Alan Black and then in April 1982 Wagstaff KO's Allen to send him into retirement for good.

The Fight....
Barber, though with only 8 fights, is actually about half way through a modest, but short career in England. Allen has fought with very little success up till now in his career. He’s fought a number of guys who we’ve seen rated into the game. His only wins being against Tommy Woods and back in June 1966 he’d handed Barber’s only career loss thus far in a 6 round decision. This fight, though not noted in BoxRec was most likely another 6 round affair. Barber this time was victorious winning by TKO in the 4th round.
In our replay fight, Barber came out gunning to win a decisive 1st round then the fighters toyed around each other through a boring 2nd round. Allen came around in the 3rd round and actually out pointed Barber 11 to 4. The 4th round like the 2nd and 3rd was little action and neither fighter connecting. Barber finally with a ½ minute to go managed to land in a little uppercut to count and give him the round. The 5th round was the best though the action was all in the last ½ minute again. Through the first 2-1/2 minutes again there was few punches thrown connecting for either fighter but with Allen actually holding a slight advantage in the round. Then at the 2:21 mark, Barber suddenly manages to land a hard uppercut in and Allen folds to the canvas. Allen manages to get up in 8. Allen holds on for the rest of the round and then Round 6 Barber manages to keep up enough pressure and land punches to count and keep Allen at bay. In the end of this rather boring fight, Barber ends with the 6 round Unanimous Decision victory 60-53, 58-55, 58-55 on the cards. Not sure why that first judge gave the 3rd round to Barber.