Andy Ruiz Jr. and Dave Allen Targeted for Spring Heavyweight Fight

Matchroom is working to put together a heavyweight fight between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Dave Allen for March or April 2027 in Sheffield, England, per Boxing News 24.

Dave Allen revealed that Matchroom's Frank Smith told him the promotion is targeting the spring window for the bout. The fight is not officially announced, and no financial terms have been reported. Allen has indicated he would likely retire afterward, per The Fight Wire.

For Ruiz, the fight would come on the heels of a rough stretch. The former unified heavyweight champion is 35-3-1 with 22 knockouts but lost his most recent fight to Damian Knyba in September 2026. His last win came against Luis Ortiz all the way back in September 2022. Between the Ortiz fight and the Knyba loss, Ruiz fought just twice, including a draw with Jarrell Miller.

Ruiz became a household name when he upset Anthony Joshua in June 2019 to win the WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight titles at Madison Square Garden. He lost them in the rematch six months later and has fought sparingly since.

Allen has carved out a career as a durable domestic heavyweight willing to face anyone, but he is not considered an elite contender. A loss to Ruiz would likely cap his career. A loss for Ruiz, however, would carry bigger consequences at a point where his relevance as a top-tier heavyweight is already fading.