Johnny Fisher vows to show major improvements in Dave Allen rematch

Johnny Fisher has promised to deliver a sharper and smarter performance against Dave Allen on Saturday night as he seeks to banish the memories of his controversial victory in their first fight last year.

Despite securing victory on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk v Tyson Fury 2 in Saudi Arabia back in December, many in the boxing world felt Allen had done enough to edge to a points success over the unbeaten Romford star.

However, despite being sent to the canvas for the first time in his professional career, Fisher got the backing of two of the three ringside judges to nick a tightly-contest showdown by a split-decision.

Debates have rolled on in the months since then with members of Fisher's family embroiled in a war of words with esteemed boxing journalist Gareth A. Davies, after the talkSPORT broadcaster branded the result 'a disgrace' live on air.

Matchroom star Fisher acknowledges the outcome in the Middle East could have gone either way, but has vowed to produce a far more comprehensive performance this time around to ensure there is no doubt as to who the rightful victor is.

"Look this is boxing and people have opinions - it was a close fight, everybody could see that," he told Boxing News this week.

Some of the criticism was unfair and some of it was warranted, but it is what it is; I can't change that but what I can do is affect the outcome this weekend.

- Johnny Fisher (Boxing News)

"I felt I won it by a round and Dave's team felt he won it by a round - we have the second fight now, it's teed up perfectly and I want to win it far more emphatically."

The 26-year-old believes a calmer and fresher approach to this weekend's affair will ultimately prove to be the difference having maybe taken his eye off the ball in the build-up to the first encounter.

"I've stripped things back this time around, undertaken far less media work, I haven't gone out and eaten chinese with DAZN for a video segment, instead I've done everything a professional boxer should do," he added.

"I’m a fan-friendly fighter and people want to see two big blokes going at in the ring as hard as they can, and my mindset is always to go out there and entertain, try and land that big shot.

"Last time around I was maybe a little loose, I was meant to fight in August, then it was September and then I tore my bicep - there were just a lot of little things in the build-up to the fight before.

"But now, I just think that bit of freshness, the fact that I have tightened everything up and the way that I go about the work will play more into my hands."

He added: "It all just feels a bit cleaner, a bit tighter, and I think that’s going to be the difference."

Mark Mothershaw

• Matchroom
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