“The Romford Bull” and “The White Rhino” are all set to lock horns once again, this time on UK soil.
Heavyweights Johnny Fisher (13-0, 11 KOs) and David Allen (23-7-2, 18 KOs) headline the Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday, May 17, live on DAZN, in a highly-anticipated rematch.
Essex boxer Fisher won their first fight, back in December last year, on the undercard of Fury-Usyk 2 in Saudi Arabia.
The 26-year-old rising prospect picked up the vacant WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight belt with the split decision victory, but the result was widely disagreed with.
Fisher’s hand was raised with scores of 95-94 twice and 96-93 to Allen, however, the verdict was greeted by a chorus of boos in the arena on the night and fight fans displayed their dissatisfaction online for many weeks afterwards.
So, it seems only right that this rematch has been branded, ‘The Inquest’, because this return fixture will deliver the investigation that everyone needs answers to.
Romford’s Johnny Fisher is sharp and powerful, puts eye-catching combinations together very well, but his conditioning seriously let him down in their first fight.
Fisher and Allen are friends and have sparred together many times, so it’s possible that Johnny mistakenly underestimated his pal.
Fisher has since admitted his conditioning wasn’t satisfactory due to cancelled shows and circumstances beyond the ring.
In their first fight, the Romford resident started fast and put a lot of power and force behind his punches in the opening rounds and expended too much energy early on, breathing heavily from only the second round.
Experienced Allen could sense this shift in momentum and began advancing forwards, throwing and landing his signature overhand right from the third round, backing the favourite up. His aggression and bullying tactics resulted in a deserved knockdown in the fifth round.
Allen landed a big left hook, very early into the three-minute round, dropping an exhausted-looking Fisher to the canvas. With a long way left to go, the youngster did remarkably well to hold on and hang in there to get some much needed rest and corner advice from trainer Mark Tibbs in the break.
Allen continued to press for the rest of the contest, constantly backing Fisher up and catching him with that signature overhand right of his. On unsteady legs, Fisher was able to get back on top in the final rounds when it was Allen’s turn to feel the pace, and his efforts were just enough effort to edge the win.
Allen will have felt very hard done by after the latest loss in his unfulfilled career. After 32 bouts, including five championship contests and seven defeats, the fan-favourite is yet to win a single title during his 12-year career.
“The Doncaster De La Hoya” was able to win over the hearts of fight fans through his likeable persona and funny antics, but also owing to his exciting style, bravery and stunning knockout victories.
Now a father to his young daughter, Betty, he is eager to win a belt for all his years of hard efforts.
Often occupying the away corner, some of his performances have been underwhelming, which he admits is down to his ever-changing mindset and love of the sport yoyoing up and down.
But against Fisher, he pulled out a vintage display. Very few expected the Doncaster man to really challenge the up-and-coming prospect, but he not only matched him, he had his number.
After the first few rounds, Allen turned the 10-round contest into a tough, taxing, scrappy fight, taking it in close, making it an awkward war of attrition, testing Fisher like no one else had been able to before, leaning on him and sapping his strength and stamina. What was witnessed that night in Riyadh was essentially man versus boy.
Despite dropping and hurting the younger man, Allen wasn’t quite able to finish him off, something that Fisher believes will be his undoing in the rematch.
Forced to go the full 10 rounds, Allen dropped the floor in exhaustion on hearing the final bell, or perhaps it was just pure emotion. Despite his Herculean efforts, he was cruelly denied the rewards.
Fisher clearly showed stamina issues, but he now says he is replenished and reconditioned, ready to go.
What was demonstrated in his nightmare before Christmas was the size of his heart, the strength of his chin, and his unquestionable determination.
Allen is vastly more experienced than Fisher, which was so evident in their first encounter. He showed intelligence and wisdom to turn the contest into his fight, just by turning up the pace and pressure, but it was effective pressure, and negated all of Fisher’s attributes.
At 32-years-old after some very tough nights against overmatched opponents, such as Frazer Clarke, Tony Yoka and Luis Ortiz, Allen’s capacity for improvement will be limited compared to the rising prospect in the opposite corner.
At just 26, still only 13 bouts into his pro career, Fisher is a southern Area heavyweight champion who is fresh, hungry, ambitious, youthful, and still learning the game and improving all the time under the tutelage of Mark Tibbs. Those last teachable 10-rounds will have been invaluable to him in his progression.
It’s all comes down to Fisher to have gone back to the drawing board and learnt from his mistakes, with fitness as the main issue that is very easily addressed and rectified.
At his best, Fisher can use his youth, speed, sharpness, superior size and range to keep the aggressive Allen away, firmly on the end of his stiff, ramrod, fast fists. But he may have to maintain that energy for a full 30 minutes, as Allen will inevitably aim to advance and fight in close quarters to bully him like he did so successfully before.
If Fisher can come back fitter and fresher, then this should be his fight to win or lose. An improved version that boxes sensible, disciplined, and sticks to the game plan, should be able to avoid that same bruising battle that he couldn’t escape last time.
A rejuvenated Johnny Fisher should get his hand raised again, this time with no questions asked.
