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Why Dave Allen wants Johnny Fisher to retire after latest win
Dave Allen is calling for fellow heavyweight Johnny Fisher to retire despite returning to winning ways in Monte Carlo on Saturday night.
Featuring on the undercard of Shabaz Masoud vs. Peter McGrail, Fisher beat Slovakia's Ivan Balaz with a stoppage in round four, but it was not a convincing performance.
While Fisher's popularity and the backing of Matchroom will see him steered towards some big matchups in 2026, Allen, who beat Fisher by knockout in May, is worried about the 'Romford Bull' and whether continuing boxing is the right move.
Dave Allen calls for Johnny Fisher to retire after struggles against Ivan Balaz
Fisher's clash with Balaz was his first since being beaten by Allen earlier this year, and his debut with Tony Sims as head coach.
In the build-up, Fisher made no secret that he wanted to be destructive, but that worked against him in round one when a Balaz right hand knocked down Fisher.
Fisher managed to get back up, but it was clear he was still feeling the effects as he stumbled forward and attempted to grab Balaz's waist.
Before finishing the contest with a right hand of his own in round four, Fisher continued to eat constant punches from Balaz and failed to defend himself appropriately.
Reflecting on the contest in a video on his YouTube channel, Allen advised Fisher to retire following a career that has seen him surpass expectations after having no amateur boxing experience.
"If I’m with Johnny Fisher, I’m saying, ‘How much money do you make? That will probably be enough,’ purely based on the fact that he can’t look after himself," Allen said.
"I like Johnny a lot, I love to see him do well, he has done brilliantly, he’s probably overachieved already."
'I don't want to see him get hurt' - Dave Allen worried for Johnny Fisher's future
Then came Allen's reasoning for wanting Fisher to seriously consider retirement due to his inability to defend himself, even against lower-level opponents.
"He gets hit too much. When he gets hit, he doesn’t know how to look after himself. The last thing I want to see is him get flattened again," Allen continued.
"I don’t want to see him get hurt. It all sounds negative, but it comes from a good place."
While it is unlikely to see Fisher challenge for a world title, winning the British title is a possible goal, but with the domestic scene thriving, it could be a step too far after the win against Balaz.
The likes of David Adeleye, Richard Riakporhe and current British champion Jeamie TKV are heavy hitters where the slight sniff of an opening will see them unleash a barrage of devastating punches.
If Fisher is unable to defend himself, or at least offer some resistance, then it could result in being on the wrong end of some horrible knockouts for one of British boxing's most popular characters.
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