Randall Cobb was a better fighter than David Allen, but both are a credit to the game

Randal “Tex” Cobb and Dave “The White Rino” Allen.

Both are fighters. Both are tough. Both are funny and very popular.

Cobb was witty and self-deprecating.

Boxing fans admire Allen’s honesty.

Cobb is, without question, the better fighter. His biggest victory was a 10th-round stoppage of Earnie Shavers in 1980. Shavers was past his prime but could still crack. He had given Muhammad Ali 15 rounds of hell in 1977. He had pushed Larry Holmes in 1979, flooring the champ before being halted. His right packed two tons of dynamite, but his chin and mostly his stamina could be suspect.

Shavers was can’t miss television. Cobb had to absorb numerous right hands to defeat Shaves.

He did it and said…

“Earnie could punch you in the neck with his right hand and break your ankle.”

Cobb was witty and self-deprecating. Allen is as well, but mostly about his boxing ability. He did mention that he was hung like a rhino, hence his nickname.

“I’m not the best fighter in the world,” said Allen after being stopped recently.

Dave Allen-Lucas Browne highlights boxing video

Cobb’s career started like a house on fire. He won his first 14 bouts, all by knockout. His fights were against several boxers with losing records. No matter, Cobb plowed through them, including a shop-worn Shavers at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mi.  Cobb fought Ken Norton after beating Shavers.

Norton edged Cobb over 10-rounds.

Cobb’s legion of fans weren’t happy.

“Hey man,” he said after the fight. “It’s just one of those things.”

Allen’s career also got off to a fast start. He won his first nine bouts until facing Dillian Whyte in Leeds. The fight wasn’t close. Allen took a lot of punishment, losing every round on two of the judges’ scorecards, but he never stopped trying.

“Two things let me down tonight, ” said Allen.”Inexperience and losing to the better man.”

Cobb was on the losing end of his next bout as well. Like the Norton fight, he came on late, jarring Michael Dokes late, but it wasn’t enough. Cobb then won three fights in a row, somehow earning a shot at heavyweight champion Larry Holmes ‘ world heavyweight title.

Holmes won easily, peppering Cobb with multiple shots in virtually every round. The fight was such a mismatch that Howard Cosell, calling the bout from ringside, never commented on a fight again.

Cobb said, “If I eliminate heart disease, if I walk on water, if I come up with a cure for crippled kids, I can’t imagine a greater gift to mankind. That is my greatest accomplishment.”

During the fight, Cobb told the referee, “Hey, you’re a white guy, do something about this!”

Nobody could. It was 15 rounds of hell, or so it seemed. Cobb was fine after the beating. He fought for several more years, winning his last 20 fights in succession against low-level competition.

“All I do is hit somebody in the mouth,” Cobb said. “It’s a whole lot easier than working for a living. Don’t make anything noble out of what I do.”

Allen lost a few and won a few over the next several years. His biggest win was over Lucas Brown in 2019. A left hook to the body did the job. He lost his next fight to David Price. He talked about retirement, but then returned. He split two rousing fights with Johnny Fisher last year.

He said this after stopping Fisher.

“I refused to celebrate the win because Johnny Fisher is my friend. He’s the nicest kid in the world.”

Allen is a pretty nice guy, too. Tough, like Tex Cobb. No quit. Contender Filip Hrgovic stopped him on his feet last week, but Allen announced a few days later that he’d be returning to the ring next month.

Randall Tex Cobb Highlights

“I just love to box,” Allen said.

He’ll go out on his own terms, as Cobb did.

That’s conviction

And a credit to the game.

Larry Holmes vs Tex Cobb – Highlights (Holmes BATTERS Cobb)