Dave Allen returned to winning ways on Saturday night, going the full distance in less than six weeks after a controversial stoppage defeat to Filip Hrgovic.

The popular heavyweight outpointed Ross McGuigan over four rounds in Rotherham, improving his record to 26-9-2.

Allen featured just 36 days after his defeat to Hrgovic at Doncaster. This fight sparked debate when his corner threw in the towel after three rounds.

The quick comeback only deepened that debate, with Allen previously noting that he was never knocked down despite sharing the ring with some of boxing’s greatest hitters.

Against McGuigan, Allen managed to gain valuable runs under his belt and shake off the disappointment of defeat to Hrgovic without suffering significant penalties.

McGuigan, from Peckham, London, lost ten times in eighteen fights before Allen’s tally was eleven. The 40-year-old was stopped by the debutant in his previous appearance in May.

The four-round contest was a modest return for the “White Rhino,” but one that allowed him to stay lively ahead of his next scheduled appearance on July 25.

The trip also served as a reminder that Allen has no intention of remaining passive despite the setback, with another fight already on the calendar this summer.

After Hrgovic’s defeat, Saturday’s victory gave him a chance to rebuild the momentum and gain some rounds before taking on the next challenge.

Allen’s next fight is expected to be another stepping stone before he pursues greater opportunities later in the year.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives and reported on ring performances. Read the full biography.

On Saturday night, Joshua Edwards continued his undefeated career in the heavyweight rankings, scoring another knockout at the Oscar Collazo in California.

The undefeated Houston prospect improved to 7-0 with six knockouts after defeating Garreth Payton in the second round of a scheduled eight-round fight.

Edwards ended the fight in 1:06 with a crushing right hand that left no doubt about the result.

On the DAZN broadcast, undefeated Uzbek Olympian Ruslan Abdullaev won the WBA Continental Gold super-lightweight title with a fifth-round knockout of Orestes Velazquez, while Yair Gallardo improved to 12-0 with a unanimous decision victory over Buneet Bisla to claim the vacant NABO and WBC FECARBOX delicate heavyweight titles.

Brandon Colantonio Back to winning ways

Hours later, Colantonio also found success, defeating Zach Contos in eight rounds in Victoria, British Columbia, improving to 8-2 and winning the World Boxing Foundation International heavyweight title.

The pair last met on February 21 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where Edwards earned a unanimous decision in a hard-fought six-round fight that raised the profile of both fighters.

In an interview with World Boxing News after defeating Contos, Colantonio thanked those who supported his career.

“I just want to thank everyone who has supported me along my journey and I will continue my pursuit of a world title,” Colantonio told WBN.

The results mean both men emerged from Saturday night with victories, adding another chapter to a rivalry that helped introduce them to a wider audience earlier this year.

Both Edwards and Colantonio have spoken to WBN about the fight since it made headlines for the Ryan Garcia vs. Mario Barrios fight.

Four months after crossing paths in Las Vegas, both heavyweights left on Saturday night with fresh enthusiasm as they enter the second half of 2026.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives and reported on ring performances. Read the full biography.

Amari Jones accomplished much more than just defeating a former world champion on Friday night. The undefeated middleweight could finally declare himself one of Golden Boy’s true breakout fighters.

Headlining his first DAZN main event in front of his hometown crowd in San Jose, Jones demolished former IBF middleweight champion Vincenzo Gualtieri in just three rounds and left no doubt as to who was in control of the fight.

The 23-year-old looked composed from the opening bell, and his shot broke Gualtieri’s rhythm before gradually turning the German into heavier shots.

Once Jones found the target flawlessly, the finish came quickly.

A crushing right hand to the temple knocked Gualtieri down badly, before Jones landed a brutal uppercut moments later that forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the fight at 2:29 of the third round.

The performance lifted Jones to 17-0 with 15 knockouts and immediately changed the conversation about one of Golden Boy’s most manageable newborn fighters.

Amari Jones’ Escape

“I made the statement that needed to be made tonight,” Jones said after the win.

“I proved that my victory over veteran Luis Arias was no fluke by coming out here and knocking out an experienced former world champion.”

Jones admitted that Gualtieri’s awkward style initially forced him to be patient, but veteran coach Virgil Hunter quickly noticed that fresh opportunities were beginning to emerge.

“After the first round, Virgil told me that Gualtieri had already shown me everything he had. After that, it was only a matter of time.”

From there, Jones began stringing together combinations with increasing confidence as Gualtieri tried to tardy him down.

“A star emerged tonight and I turned my attention to the middleweight division.”

Gualtieri entered the ring as a former world champion with only one defeat to his name. By the end of the third round, he looked completely overwhelmed by the speed, sharpness and finishing instincts that Jones was firing at him.

The return of Robin Safar

In the co-main event titled Robin Safar won the WBC silver cruiserweight title with a split decision victory over Yamil Peralta, despite suffering the first knockdown of his professional career.

Safar shook off his initial fear to emerge victorious in a tough twelve-round battle after two judges favored the Swede and one backed Peralta.

“I actually got dropped in that fight. It was the first time I was dropped,” Safar later admitted.

“It was a compact knockdown in the blink of an eye, but I had to recover and adapt. We came back and won the fight.”

Safar later called for a fight against Noel Mikaelian when he tried to get close to the top fighters in the cruiserweight division.

Results below the card

Elsewhere on the card Dariusz Fulghum stopped Yoanki Urrutia after a brutal body attack forced the corner to call it quits after three rounds in their super middleweight clash, while Tristan Kalkreuth he knocked down Marco Canedo in six.

Jordan Fuentes also remained undefeated after defeating Dante Hernandez in a thrilling super flyweight bout.

In preliminary activities Jordan Panten stopped Jean Rivera-Pacheco for the WBA Continental middleweight title John “Scrappy” Ramirez defeated Lucas Fernandez in ten rounds.

Enkhmandakh Charkuu also remained undefeated with a unanimous decision victory over Adrian Herrera Jose Medrano Jr. knocked out Anel Dudo in four rounds.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives and reported on ring performances. Read the full biography.