Heavyweight Dave Allen (19-5-2, 16 KOs) returned to the ring after almost two years away, stopping Andrea Pesce in two rounds at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge Arena last week. Promoter Dennis Hobson weighed in on Allen’s performance.

“I was pleased with his comeback,” said Hobson. “I wasn’t over-expecting anything from him, but he got the opponent out of there. He’s heavy-handed, exciting to watch, and has plenty of charisma. His opponent wasn’t world class or anything but he was tough and Dave stopped him, whereas others might have struggled to do that. There’s obviously room for improvement, but Dave proved to himself that he still has something. If he works on it then he’ll be a force to be reckoned with again and will win a few titles. I go back a long way with him and love working with him. The next couple of years with him are going to be very interesting.

“Dave Allen needs to win a title. We’ve got to win a title together. We have a connection and I want to win a title with him and get him on my wall of fame!”