By Elliot Foster, photo by Mark Robinson

Lenroy Thomas kept hold of his Commonwealth heavyweight title via technical decision.

It came after David Allen suffered a bad cut over the right eye after a clash of heads in the opening round.

Both fighters came to the ring confident in the rematch, exclusively live on Sky Sports, at the FlyDSA Arena in Sheffield.

But the fight was halted early by referee Michael Alexander in the final minute of the first round as Thomas went to throw a hook to the body, as part of the undercard to Kell Brook’s return against Sergey Rabchenko.

“It’s disappointing,” Thomas told Sky Sports afterwards. He then said that the fight would happen again, providing “the price is right”.

“I’m gutted for both of them,” promoter Eddie Hearn said. “Both fighters are safe, they go back and carry on with their careers but hopefully we can get the fight on again.

“It was a bad cut and the doctors are there to protect the boxers, but Allen is going to be screaming for the third fight with Lenroy and we’ll have to see if we can get it.”

Also on the card, Kid Galahad dominated against Irving Berry in a scheduled 10-round contest on the card.

However, it didn’t last that long as the Ingle Gym man, who was placed on the card as a favour to main event fighter Kell Brook, ousted the senses of his foe in the final minute of the third round.

Galahad, 28, unleashed a big left hand which forced Berry, from Panama, to the seat of his pants and saw Steve Gray, the referee, call a halt to the contest immediately.

Berry was placed under medical attention –– and given oxygen –– but left the ring under his own steam before Galahad called for a fight against the winner of the May 19 showdown between IBF featherweight world champion Lee Selby and challenger Josh Warrington at Elland Road in Leeds.