How much Ukrainian boxing legends Usyk and Klychko pay sparring partners

Dave Allen talks about fees from Ukrainians and Britons

Dave Allen, known as "The White Rhino", played an invaluable role as a sparring partner for the most famous boxing stars.

At the beginning of his difficult career, he stepped into the ring with some of the best heavyweights of his generation, including Usyk, Klychko, Fury, and Joshua.

Although most of these stars earned millions for the fights Allen helped them prepare for, the Brit himself received much less for his important contribution.

In some cases, he earned a decent sum of a few thousand pounds, but sometimes he returned home with no money at all.

Dave Allen (photo: instagram.com/whiterhino_21)

Ukrainians were the most generous

"The most I earned in sparring was with Klychko. I lied about my height, I lied about my weight, and I lied about my fitness levels to get into that camp. I wasn't there for long, but he was a lovely fella. Klychko would have 10 sparring partners, he was the ultimate professional," said Allen.

According to the boxer, he earned 1500 pounds a week sparring with the Ukrainian. At the same time, all of Klychko's sparring partners were paid the same amount.

"He was spending nearly £100,000 on sparring partners! He was the ultimate professional. We sparred hard, there were no prisoners taken. But for that money, I didn't complain," says Allen.

According to Dave, Usyk paid well too, though somewhat less than his compatriot, 2000 pounds for two weeks in camp.

Britons were more stingy

"Tyson used to slip me a few quid, but he was always really nice to me, we were friends. I would always do the initial few rounds, he would ease his way in, and then he would go and beat some poor fella up after me," says Allen.

The boxer recalled an interesting story about sparring with Fury in Ricky Hatton's gym before his fights with the Albanian Sefer Seferi and the Italian Francesco Pianeta.

"There was a KFC around the corner, and he gave me money for fuel, a oner [£100] for sparring and an extra £20, which I would go around the corner to get some KFC with," Allen said with a smile.

But Dave didn't get paid at all for sparring with AJ. At first, this was because both boxers were amateurs. Later, the situation didn't change.

"I also sparred him during his first three years as a pro, and I probably should have been paid then, but we were kind of mates," the Briton added.

Thus, Allen's sparring payments look like this:

• Volodymyr Klychko – 1500 pounds per week
• Oleksandr Usyk – 1000 pounds per week
• Tyson Fury – 120 pounds per session
• Anthony Joshua – 0 pounds

It should be noted that sparring is the best way to sharpen a boxer's skills, but it is also when the most damage is done. Before a 12-round fight, athletes go through hundreds of rounds behind closed doors. Some sparring sessions are tougher than the actual fights.

Allen is well acquainted with this reality: in 2020, he even temporarily ended his career after Usyk knocked him out in a training camp in Ukraine.

"To be honest, when I sparred Usyk he knocked me unconscious. I never went over, I finished the round. But I can remember him hitting me. The rest of the round - next thing I knew I was stood outside the ring, packing my bag. I was concussed," he says.

"So that was the last straw. I'm not an idiot, so I know when it's time to finish. Yeah, a lot of money could've been made, but at what cost? Being embarrassed. Being hurt is one thing, but being embarrassed is another," Allen concluded.

It should be noted that after "retiring", he eventually returned to the ring and even won a rematch against Johnny Fisher. Today, "The White Rhino" is considered a "people's favorite" in Britain thanks to his sincerity, sense of humor, and character.

Dave Allen (photo: instagram.com/whiterhino_21)