SHEFFIELD, England – Three intriguing title fights preceded Dave Allen's much-anticipated return, with a reported 9,000 tickets sold and fans quickly filling out the Utilita Arena before the 33-year-old's heavyweight headliner with Arslanbek Makhmudov.

The stakes couldn't be higher for either man in a must-win for both if they had any ambitions of returning to world level opposition and with lucrative opportunities available for Saturday's winner, neither could afford a misstep in the sport's glamour division.

This eight-fight bill, televised on DAZN worldwide, was the first of a Matchroom double-header with Eddie Hearn among those stateside ahead of former unified welterweight champion Jaron Ennis' junior middleweight debut against Uisma Lima overnight.

In the evening's co-main, Bilal Fawaz embraced his spoiler role again and this time, got a gritty majority decision over Junaid Bostan over ten entertaining rounds to win the English junior middleweight title after a rematch we didn't know was needed delivered plenty.

Scores of 96-95 and 96-94 in the 37-year-old's favour saw him snatch victory and inflict a career-first defeat on Bostan (10-1-1, 8 KOs), who had a drawn 95-95 scorecard elsewhere.

Bostan invested downstairs early and often with subtle scoring shots, referee Michael Alexander ticking them both off for early fouls and not-so-subtle rough-housing.

After being warned again in the second, they both open up with counter hooks as the gamesmanship returns again - Fawaz weaving a spider's web for Bostan to fall victim to again as they briefly trade in close-range, the older man countering sharply and making him miss more as both are cut over their right eye after an inevitable accidental head clash.

Hearn said the fight was unravelling too quickly for Bostan's liking, not even three rounds completed, and Fawaz caught Bostan clean with a big right he didn't see coming. Somehow the 22-year-old stayed on his feet, even though his legs were failing him as Fawaz unloaded combinations, which continued into a tense fourth with both connecting clean.

Fawaz first, then Bostan with even more venom as both got carried away for different reasons. Fawaz lost his defensive shape and Bostan buzzed him up against the ropes, before loading up on a pair of hooks but missing wildly as Fawaz looked at him quizzically.

Grant Smith had to haul his charge to the corner for more instructions as the pair exchanged glaring looks at the bell, Bostan geeing up the crowd but the older man keen not to let him off the hook as round five saw their frantic pace resume.

Bostan did some nice work on the inside, Fawaz scored with two and three-punch combinations through the guard and they traded big to finish another entertaining round.

Bostan fired off a left, Fawaz fired a right straight back and shook his glove as if to say, is that all you've got? The Rotherham youngster had more and incrementally let fly, a pair of powerful hooks and crunching left got the crowd excited again before Fawaz's gumshield flew out, moments before Bostan forced him to eat another power punch and they broke.

Fawaz was still having sustained success as they entered the second-half, Bostan's balance restored and his punch selection improved but he couldn't afford to get comfortable. Bilal's flamboyant style wouldn't allow him too, despite starting round seven with a big uppercut and more body work at close-range.

It was still up for grabs with two rounds left, Fawaz doing his best to get in Bostan's head as Smith made sure to tell him as much during a funny exchange. Fawaz's superman punches came out to play early in the ninth, a back-and-forth frame where both had their moments.

Bostan couldn't miss with his hooks, though Fawaz kept him honest with more combination punching and staying slippery where possible - an arduous task whenever they were up close, with the younger man doing good work on the inside and exiting exchanges strong.

Fawaz furiously fired off punches in bunches to start the final stanza, being ticked off for some dirty boxing but ignoring those commands to trade punch-for-punch as time wore on.

Bostan lost his attacking shape and swung wildly forward but wasn't afraid of what came back at him as they entered the final half-minute, superman punches and jabs came from the underdog performing admirably as the underdog over 20 rounds. His attempts at burying the hatchet at the final bell were brushed aside, as both awaited the scorecards.

Former world title challenger Josh Padley (17-1, 5 KOs) edged past Reece Bellotti (20-7, 15 KOs) to seal the WBA International junior lightweight title on his 130-pound debut, though the wide scorecards were in stark contrast to a contest many felt Bellotti did enough to win.

Steve Gray's 99-92 scorecard was the most egregious, a 20-year judge and esteemed referee who must've seen this unfold with Padley-tinted glasses on. Even then, you couldn't justify giving the Watford man one round in a fight he hurried and hassled throughout.

It was scrappy from the off as both tried to assert themselves in close quarters as the aggressor. There was no doubting Padley as the audible favourite, though an unfazed Bellotti looked to spoil his work and was doing a good job through nine minutes.

More clinching came early in the third, Bellotti chaining together the better and more noteworthy flurries up on his chest before Padley had to punch his way out of ever-increasing pressure during another smothering stanza in the fourth.

The fan favourite was being urged to do more as they entered round five, but Bellotti kept imposing his will on the inside and dug away to body and landing a nice left hand too.

That continued in six and seven, Bellotti keeping Padley moving laterally and the favourite's successful moments were fleeting - he would swivel and unload a combination, but not build on that success and instead exhausting patterns persisted to Bellotti's advantage.

Bellotti's support were growing with every scoring shot connecting clean as the Padley chants became increasingly intermittent, another ominous sign their charge was behind.

Into the final two frames they went, Padley's powerful advances not deterring Bellotti nor was he active enough with his punch output. The Watford man finished another competitive round stronger, possibly swaying the judges' mind, before some timekeeper drama forced a brief pause - confusion over whether it was 10 or 12 rounds - as both emptied the tank.

Padley landed clean with a right which got the crowd stirring, Bellotti gamely beckoned him forward and returned the favour before winding up a corking shot near his corner, connecting on more combination punching.

It was a fitting finish to a tense tussle that grew as time wore on, after a nip-and-tuck first few rounds. Neither were sure at the end, though the scorecards made for grim reading.

During his watchalong from Ennis' dressing room in Philadelphia, Hearn was in disbelief upon hearing the cards: "99-92? I'm not being funny, how can you give Reece one round? It could've gone either way but the most disheartening thing for Bellotti is that you can take it on the chin if it was a split [decision] or 96-94 but when you get those scorecards, you just think what's the point? You work for 10 rounds and get that, it's ridiculous."

Walsall prospect Hamza Uddin (6-0, 3 KOs) did exactly as he said he would during Thursday's press conference, sealing a trio of knockdowns in round five en route to a stoppage over Paul Roberts, winning the English and WBA International flyweight titles.

18 months into his professional career, the 22-year-old bossed proceedings from minute one to an inevitable finish of two-time Southern Area junior bantamweight champion Paul Roberts (7-7-2, 2 KOs) and the showcase was complete for an esteemed amateur who needed a fight like this to bring out his spiteful best, rather than going through the motions.

"My self-belief has always been there, I know how good I am and can be, we [me and my team] know where we're gonna go, one-by-one, grab every title we can. I've got my eyes on everyone and everything, want to take people out and inside the distance - nothing personal - it's just business. Here's a message for British and world boxing: the sport's next superstar has arrived and it's Hamza Uddin," he said during a passionate post-fight speech.

The official time was 2:14 of round five, with the 29-year-old's corner mercifully throwing in the towel after seeing their charge broken down and showing little resistance.

Uddin was quickly enjoying himself, slipping and sliding into and back out of boxing range as Roberts' face and body was increasingly a cherry red colour. Doubling up behind the jab and shimmying as he evaded capture at short-range, the younger man caught Roberts clean with a leaping left hook in round three and felt comfortable enough to pick his shots.

Two rounds later, Uddin's work downstairs had paid dividends as he logged three knockdowns in a minute with left hands. Roberts returned to his feet but the end was near.

Bilal Fawaz MD10 (96-95, 95-95, 96-94) Junaid Bostan, wins English junior middleweight title

Josh Padley UD10 (99-92, 97-93, 97-93) Reece Bellotti, wins WBA International junior lightweight title

Hamza Uddin TKO5 (2:17) Paul Roberts, wins English flyweight title

Junior lightweight: Ibraheem Sulaimaan PTS8 (80-72) James Chereji

Light heavyweight: Conner Tudsbury TKO4 (0:58) Khalid Graidia

Junior welterweight: Joe Howarth PTS6 (60-53) Karl Sampson

Welterweight: Joe Hayden PTS6 (60-54) Angelo Dragone