W.D. Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio - In a clash of undefeated 32-year-old heavyweights, Floridian Trevor Bryan (22-0, 15 KOs) utilized 20-lb. weight and five-inch height advantages to retain his WBA "regular" crown for the initial time in a split-decision triumph over WBA No.13-ranked contender Jonathan Guidry (17-1-2, 10 KOs), of Dulac, La.

Judges Nathan Palmer and Brian Kennedy saw the fight 118-109 and 116-111 respectively for Bryan, while Steve Weisfeld scored it 115-112 for Guidry.

A confident Bryan, who captured the vacant WBA belt by flooring Bermane Stiverne twice before referee Frank Gentile stopped the contest at 1:26 of the 11th round exactly one year ago on Jan. 29, 2021, looked to the future while praising his game opponent.

“Trevor Bryan is here to stay," said Bryan. “I showed that tonight. I am only going to get better and keep improving my skills. I worked until the final bell. I am taking my talents overseas. I am going to make those fights against the top three, which is Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Oleksandr Usyk. I deserve those fights. This is a steppingstone for me. Shout out to Jonathan Guidry. He was a tough opponent.”

Despite suffering his first pro defeat, Guidry, who is a crabber back in his native Louisiana, earned the crowd’s respect by standing toe-to-toe with the taller champion, overcoming a swollen right eye, effectively landing jabs from in close, and never becoming rattled.

“It was a close fight,” said Guidry after the decision was announced. “We only trained for four weeks for this fight. I want another shot at it. If I get in a little bit better shape, I’ll put on a better show. It was heartbreaking. If I had a little bit more gas in the tank, I could have gotten him (Bryan).”

With Bryan aiming to end the bout and not leave the outcome in the judges’ hands, the champion sent a wobbly Guidry to the canvas for the fight’s lone knockdown as the final bell sounded.

“The last round he caught me in my neck,” Guidry recalled. “I feel really good. I wasn’t supposed to make it this far.”