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    Anthony Joshua sends emotional message to Dave Allen after boxer’s heroic battle with suicide and gambling demons

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    ANTHONY JOSHUA hailed Dave Allen’s emotional journey from suicidal gambling addict to heavyweight boxing hero. Allen has been open and honest about suffering from depression after blowing hundreds of thousands through betting.Dave Allen celebrates knocking out Johnny FisherCredit: GettyAnthony Joshua hailed Allen onlineCredit: GettyBut the father-of-two has turned his life and career around with the help of his family while always remaining a favourite among British fans.And Allen scored the biggest and perhaps most brutal win of his career after knocking out Johnny Fisher in round five of their rematch.The win was widely celebrated by supporters who have lived every inch of Allen’s rollercoaster career – with AJ just one of his admirers. Joshua, 35, posted: “Dave was suicidal, a gambling addict who everyone thought was finished a few years ago. READ MORE IN BOXING”Now he’s got a family, a few hundred thousand to his name and got his biggest win.” Allen, 33, left Saudi Arabia in December with a controversial split-decision loss to Fisher, 26, despite scoring a fifth-round knockdown. But he took it out of the judges hands at the Copper Box re-run after flooring Fisher – again in round five – with a clubbing right hand. And with just seconds remaining in the round, Allen knocked Fisher out with a massive left hook following on from a combination to the body. Most read in BoxingHe said afterwards: “This means everything to me. I’ve been written off so many times.”You know what it means? The belt, everything, my kids. I’m gonna have an en suite, they’ll have their own bathroom between them.Shocking moment boxing referee is viciously attacked by several men in ring after fight before he is sent flying”At this level, I’m a handful. He overexaggerated the movement, which worked against him.”I’ve got experience, I know the game inside-out. I’m him, but with 30 more fights basically.”He’s my friend. He’s a very good friend of mine. I wouldn’t allow [a trilogy fight] to happen, because it’s not in his best interests.”Fisher was left needing oxygen after the stoppage but took to Instagram to say: “I weren’t good enough tonight but that’s what boxing is all about and that’s what sport is all about.”The best people keep coming and keep going and don’t let one little blip get them down.”Allen knocked Fisher out with a brutal left hookCredit: PAAllen made sure not to leave it to the judgesCredit: PAFisher needed oxygen in the aftermathCredit: Getty More

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      Dave Allen is the ex-supply teacher turned boxer who overcame gambling addiction to become heroic fans’ favourite

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      DAVE ALLEN has lived several lives, from supply school teacher to gambling addict and now, thankfully, a beloved boxing star. Allen started as an amateur aged 16 and had just ten bouts before turning professional in 2012 – snubbing the chance to join the GB Squad. Dave Allen opened up on his gambling addiction, which he has bravely overcomeCredit: First Round TVHe was 20 when he made his debut but only three years later Allen had only fought seven times and was in need of cash. The heavyweight made ends meet as a sparring partner – earning around £500 a week – but it was not enough. So he got a job as a supply teacher – lying on his CV to get the gig – before returning to the ring in 2015. But by then, Allen was gripped by a horrific gambling addiction which started after making a £1 bet on the horses with his dad when he was just eight. READ MORE IN BOXINGAnd after being introduced to online betting, the boxer’s life began to spiral. He bravely said on ex-middleweight champion Darren Barker’s podcast: “It just snowballed really. “I used to go to the bookies and play on the machines there, they were great times.”But the online stuff is where it got bad for me because it was so easy, it was numbers on the screen. Most read in Boxing”Probably at the worst? It’s difficult to say really. I wasn’t gambling that much in my early 20s, but I was gambling everything that I had. “As I got a bit older, I was gambling way more, tens of thousands of pounds. Maybe into hundreds of thousands overall.”John Fisher opens up on his son’s brutal fight against Dave Allen after he needed brain scan Allen – who has sparred Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk – said winning the bets was the route of his addiction not the cash. He explained: “I have no interest in the money at all. “The kind of gambler I am, it’s not about the money for me. When the money runs out, that’s the only issue.”I never wanted to withdraw any money, I just wanted to keep winning. To be honest, at that time it was like an escapism from real life.”Allen revealed his routine consisted of going to bed at 6am and waking up by 2pm to catch the first race of the day. Fortunately, Allen has overcome his addiction with the help of his sister and wife, who he shares a son and daughter with. As I got a bit older, I was gambling way more, tens of thousands of pounds. Maybe into hundreds of thousands overall.Dave Allen He said: “Since I was 26, I’ve not been in control of my own money. “So at 26, I said to my sister, ‘You’re going to have to look after my money, to be honest.'”My sister set me up a bank account and for the last seven and a half years if I want any money at all, I have to text my sister and now my missus, I get a card and they send me money.”Because, if I could still gamble now, I think I would. I’ve spent mad money on mad s***, I was spending ridiculous money and when I boxed Luis Ortiz, I did it for the money, really.”I think I owed a few quid at the time of the Dillian Whyte fight, I think I lost about eight grand on the day of the fight, I didn’t clear too much more than that really.”Allen has also become a trainer and manager to young fighters to also keep himself on track. He said: “I need it as much as them, start training the kids seven or eight years ago and that’s my sustainability really. ‘He’ll get knocked out'”It’s really kept me on the straight and narrow.”Allen initially retired from boxing in 2020 aged 28 after a brutal knockout loss to 2008 Olympic bronze medallist David Price.But he returned a year later and has fought eight times since, remaining a hugely popular figure amongst British fans. Allen, 33, is coming off a controversial split-decision loss to Johnny Fisher, 26, in Saudi Arabia last December. But the pair now rematch on Saturday at Fisher’s adopted home of the Copper Box Arena. And Allen – who dropped Fisher in round five – warned: “If he fights me May 17th he’ll get knocked out because I’ll be sharper, a little bit fitter.Read More on The Sun”If he boxes me it will be hard work, of course it is. But I don’t think at the Copper Box he’ll hold it together and box. “He’ll get in a fight at some point. I’m not the biggest puncher but I hit too hard for him and I’m too strong for him. He’s tough, though.”Johnny Fisher controversially beat Dave Allen on pointsCredit: ReutersThey rematch at the Copper BoxCredit: PA More

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      Premier League stars among 530 footballers being treated for addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling

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      PREMIER League stars are among 530 footballers being treated for addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling and other mental health issues, figures reveal.Last season, 80 professional players sought therapy for problems with illicit substances such as cocaine and nitrous oxide, as well as sleeping pills and booze.Brentford Premier League star Christian Norgaard, pictured above, recently revealed he previously feared he was becoming addicted to sleeping tablets. He said: “It’s a topic that has been going under the radar.”Some have become addicted to using black market zopiclone tablets to help them sleep as part of their recovery from training.The stars received treatment from the Sporting Chance clinic, which works with the Professional Footballers’ Association.READ MORE ON ADDICTIONOf the 530 supported last season, 42 players got help for gambling addictions.But these latest PFA figures for 2023-24 are said to be just the tip of the iceberg as scores of top stars seek help privately.Officials are also increasingly worried about the prevalence of nicotine pouches, called snus — with one in five professional footballers admitting to using them.And on Friday, it emerged two unnamed players tested positive for a banned ­substance immediately after games in the Premier League and Football League last season, according to UK Anti-Doping.Most read in FootballA dealer, who has supplied sleeping tablets to stars in the Premier League, said: “The main reason some players rely on them is because of their sleeping patterns.“Some expect players to train twice a day and want them to sleep in the afternoon to recover. It’s hard when your body is wired.A Premier League star has become the first footballer to go into rehab for an addiction to nitrous oxide canisters”Other times they rely on them is when they have a big midweek game which kicks off at 8pm. They might not get home until the early hours.“I know a few players who have tried to wean themselves off them but it’s hard.“They go cold turkey and spend days suffering from acute tiredness — but also being unable to sleep.”Brentford Premier League star Christian Norgaard recently revealed he previously feared he was becoming addicted to sleeping tablets More

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      Rick Kuhn, 69, Dies; Convicted in a College Gambling Scandal

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      While playing basketball at Boston College, he participated in a point-shaving scheme with Henry Hill, the mobster later portrayed in the movie “Goodfellas.”Rick Kuhn, a Boston College basketball player who was convicted for taking part in a headline-making point-shaving scandal that was largely organized by Henry Hill, the mobster played by Ray Liotta in the 1990 movie “Goodfellas,” died on Dec. 22 at his home in Ligonier, Pa. He was 69.The cause was pancreatic cancer, said Chuck Finder, who collaborated with Mr. Kuhn on a recently completed memoir.Mr. Kuhn was a 6-foot-5 backup forward and center for the Boston College Eagles in 1978 when he agreed to participate in a plot to help make sure his team won by fewer points than the spread — the number of points by which oddsmakers make a team a favorite or an underdog in certain games — or lost by more.Small subterfuges, like a player deliberately committing a critical foul or appearing to try to steal a ball but letting his opponent get around him to score, could alter the margin of victory.The scandal began unfolding when Mr. Kuhn took a teammate and close friend, Jim Sweeney, to a hotel room near Logan Airport in Boston to meet Mr. Hill; Paul Mazzei, a narcotics trafficker Hill had met in a federal prison; and Tony Perla, a small-time gambler.“You’re thinking, the initial phase, they want insider information,” Mr. Kuhn wrote in a memoir. But two hours into the meeting, the subject of point shaving came up, and the players were asked how much money they would want to participate in such a scheme.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Floyd Layne, 95, Basketball Player Tarnished by Gambling Scandal, Dies

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      He helped City College win two national championships in 1950 before pleading guilty in a point-shaving scheme. He later became City’s basketball coach and a mentor.Floyd Layne, who helped City College win both the N.C.A.A. and N.I.T. basketball championships in March 1950 but who shattered his career in a point-shaving scandal, died on Friday. Layne, who eventually found redemption working with young people in recreation programs and as City College’s head basketball coach, was 95.His death was confirmed by Karina Jorge, an assistant director of athletics at City College, who did not say where he died.An outstanding ballhandler and defensive player at guard, the 6-foot-3-inch Layne was among four sophomores in the starting lineup for an unheralded City team that won the National Invitation Tournament and the N.C.A.A. tournament at Madison Square Garden in championship games held 10 days apart.But late in the following season, players from powerful teams like City College, Long Island University, Bradley University and the University of Kentucky were arrested after being accused of taking bribes from professional gamblers to lose games or keep margins of victory within the point spread established to attract bettors.When three of Layne’s teammates were arrested in mid-February 1951, accused of point-shaving, students staged a campus rally to support the squad, and they carried the presumably unsullied Layne on their shoulders.But Layne was soon arrested as well. He was accused of agreeing to help keep City College from exceeding victory margins set by gamblers in their point spreads for games with Missouri, Arizona and Boston College during the 1950-51 season. Layne led detectives to the bedroom of his Bronx home, where he had hidden $2,890 — all but $110 of the bribe money — in a rolled-up handkerchief embedded in the dirt of a flower pot.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      ‘Heartbroken’ football fan misses out on winning £800k with £219 bet by ­cashing out MINUTES before full time

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      A LIVERPOOL fan missed out on ­£800,000 in a Premier League punt — by ­cashing out minutes before full-time.Ethan Conway, 24, staked £219 on three exact season-end scores last Sunday.Ethan Conway missed out on winning a whopping £800,000 football bet – after he cashed out just minutes beforeCredit: WNSHe predicted Brighton 0, Manchester United 2; Liverpool 2, Wolves 0; and Sheffield United 0, Tottenham Hotspur 3.He cashed out for £5,130 with United leading 1-0 and was “over the moon” at his luck — before Rasmus Højlund’s 88th-minute second for Liverpool’s arch rivals. If the scaffolder had held his nerve he would have won £814,000 on the 3,717/1 punt.“I’m heartbroken”, he said. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS“It’s just the 50/50 chance of it.“You either cash out or you don’t. My family and friends were in disbelief as well — but they’re happy I won the five grand.”Ethan, of Mountain Ash, South Wales, added: “It was just a rough guess and it came in. Pure luck.“There’s no chance I’ll be betting again soon. I’ll have to get over this one first. I’ve won and run.”Most read in FootballEthan with his girlfriend AmberCredit: WNSJurgen Klopp bids emotional farewell to Anfield on final day as drops huge hint he might RETIRE after leaving Liverpool More

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      Former PM Boris Johnson signs big money deal with high street bookie to front ad campaign during Euro 2024

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      FORMER PM Boris Johnson has landed a lucrative deal to star in Paddy Power’s ad campaign for this summer’s Euro 2024 football tournament.The 59-year-old, who stood down as an MP last year, signed up for the gambling giant’s commercials, which are known to be edgy.Boris Johnson has landed a lucrative deal to star in Paddy Power’s ad campaign for the EurosCredit: APBoJo signed up for the gambling giant’s commercials, which are known to be edgyCredit: AlamyIts recent ads have featured former England striker Peter Crouch and his model wife Abbey Clancy.And sources say Boris will perform a cameo in an advert for the Euros, which start in Germany next month.One told The Sun on Sunday: “Landing a character like Boris as part of their Euros campaign is a huge coup and Paddy Power bosses are super chuffed he decided to go for it.“The brand is notorious for its comedy, tongue-in-cheek ads so they are planning a shoot to get everyone talking. Boris has a great sense of humour — and now he’s out of politics, he is up for having a bit of fun again. It was also a fruitful offer he couldn’t refuse.”READ MORE ON BORIS JOHNSONBoris has previously had a strict stance on gambling. In January 2020, he led calls for football bosses to scrap a £750million deal selling FA Cup sponsorship rights to betting giants.Last autumn, we revealed Boris turned down an offer to take part in ITV’s I’m A Celeb — a path taken by his former Health Secretary, Matt Hancock.But since leaving office, the New York-born former MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in West London has racked up a string of money-spinning deals.Most read in FootballHe earned £1.3million from six speaking gigs alone, has a rumoured £1million deal with the Daily Mail and a lucrative book contract with Harper Collins.Last year, Boris was announced as a six-figure hire for GB News, but has yet to appear on screen on the channel.Boris is welcome on campaign trail with me… but I STILL don’t know election date, says Rishi More

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      In Latest Gambling Scandal, Some See Glimpse of Sports’ Future

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      The N.B.A. banned a player for life for betting on games, a practice some worry could become more prevalent with the rise of wagering on sports.Bill Bradley, the basketball Hall of Famer and former United States senator known as a staunch opponent of legalized sports betting, was speaking about the topic back in January. But he might as well have been predicting the future.“Well there hasn’t been a scandal, yet,” he said, discussing how professional sports have become ever more entwined with the gambling industry in recent years. “So the worst has been avoided, but all of the conditions are there for the untoward to occur.”On Wednesday, the National Basketball Association confirmed the untoward had occurred, issuing a lifetime ban to Jontay Porter, a seldom-used backup forward for the Toronto Raptors. The league said Mr. Porter wagered money on his own team to lose, pretended to be hurt for betting purposes and shared confidential information with gamblers.“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of N.B.A. competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport,” Adam Silver, the league’s commissioner, said in announcing Porter’s punishment.There are those who worry that Porter is just the tip of the iceberg across American sports, and that unless everyone — leagues, players, unions, politicians, betting companies — gets together to prevent further betting scandals, the very viability of professional sports is at risk. The Porter case was all the more unsettling because it came just weeks after baseball’s biggest star, Shohei Ohtani, was connected to a gambling scandal when his longtime interpreter was accused of stealing millions of dollars from him to pay an illegal bookmaker.“When sports lose the perception that they’re honest, their sport dies,” said Fay Vincent, the former Major League Baseball commissioner who played a key role in barring Pete Rose, the career hits leader, from the sport for life in the 1980s because he bet on his own team’s games. We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      After NBA Bans Jontay Porter for Gambling, Some See Glimpse of Sports’ Future

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      The N.B.A. banned a player for life for betting on games, a practice some worry could become more prevalent with the rise of wagering on sports.Bill Bradley, the basketball Hall of Famer and former United States senator known as a staunch opponent of legalized sports betting, was speaking about the topic back in January. But he might as well have been predicting the future.“Well there hasn’t been a scandal, yet,” he said, discussing how professional sports have become ever more entwined with the gambling industry in recent years. “So the worst has been avoided, but all of the conditions are there for the untoward to occur.”On Wednesday, the National Basketball Association confirmed the untoward had occurred, issuing a lifetime ban to Jontay Porter, a seldom-used backup forward for the Toronto Raptors. The league said Mr. Porter wagered money on his own team to lose, pretended to be hurt for betting purposes and shared confidential information with gamblers.“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of N.B.A. competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport,” Adam Silver, the league’s commissioner, said in announcing Porter’s punishment.There are those who worry that Porter is just the tip of the iceberg across American sports, and that unless everyone — leagues, players, unions, politicians, betting companies — gets together to prevent further betting scandals, the very viability of professional sports is at risk. The Porter case was all the more unsettling because it came just weeks after baseball’s biggest star, Shohei Ohtani, was connected to a gambling scandal when his longtime interpreter was accused of stealing millions of dollars from him to pay an illegal bookmaker.“When sports lose the perception that they’re honest, their sport dies,” said Fay Vincent, the former Major League Baseball commissioner who played a key role in barring Pete Rose, the career hits leader, from the sport for life in the 1980s because he bet on his own team’s games. We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More