Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Fisher vs. Allen 2 Epilogue: Dave Allen Won The Weekend With Humor & Action (Video)
PA Images/Alamy Images

Heavyweight Dave Allen (24-7-2, 19 KOs) clearly won the weekend by showing off his charisma outside of the ring and then following it up with a brutal knockout victory over Johnny Fisher (13-1, 11 KOs) this past Saturday on DAZN at the Copper Box Arena in Middlesex, U.K.

After raising some eyebrows and creating some laughter at Friday’s weigh-in ceremony, Allen knocked down Fisher twice before the referee put a halt to the action, and the white towel was thrown in by Fisher’s corner.

Johnny Fisher vs. Dave Allen 2- Not Leaving It To The Judges

It was December 2024 on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 when Fisher met Allen for the first time. Before the bell rang to start the fight, the talk was about Fisher being a top heavyweight prospect for Matchroom Boxing and that he was the division’s future. Eddie Hearn, being Eddie Hearn, used his platform to magnify that hype even more. What happened when the fight actually began made him realize Fisher was simply a product of good matchmaking.

Fisher struggled mightily against Allen and, in the fifth round, suffered the first knockdown of his short career up to this point. He wasn’t quite right after that, and Allen performed his best, sending the fight to the scorecards as they lasted to the final bell. This is where things got interesting as the judges saw this one 95-94 twice for Fisher and 96-93 for Allen, awarding Fisher the split decision victory. The decision was debated throughout social media and drove Hearn to book an immediate rematch. Although Fisher likely assured Hearn that it was a fluke of a fight, the rematch showed that it wasn’t, and Allen had Fisher’s number all along.

Before The Rematch, Allen Steals the Show

In what was an unexpected move but a nod to the “Gypsy King”, Allen showed up to the weigh-in ceremony with a speedo like underwear that had a dozen pictures of his face on it. This created a loud laughter throughout the venue hosting the weigh-in ceremony, and it also played into the fact that Allen was enjoying the moment and making the most of it. Fisher wasn’t smiling as much as he tried to remain focused on the task. Both guys came in at career-high weights and were ready to do battle.

The Rematch

In the opening round, Fisher was gauging the distance and occasionally threw his left jab. Allen was moving forward and threw an overhand right in spots as Fisher had his left hand down. Fisher had a good second round, leading with the left jab and following it with a long, straight right hand. Allen kept coming forward, but Fisher did a great job keeping that distance.

In the third round, Fisher landed a hard right hand to the body of Allen that nearly folded him. Allen was buzzed, but he was able to recover quickly. Although Fisher was warned for a low blow later in the round, he was in his rhythm, and Allen had difficulty getting his offense off. Fisher continued his dominance in the fourth round as Allen was taking a ton of punishment. The DAZN commentators praised Fisher after the fourth round but wondered if he could sustain it.

It was in the fifth round that Allen suddenly woke up. It was almost as if he sensed that Fisher was fatiguing quickly. Allen began to unload his overhand rights, which were landing on the side of Fisher’s head and a left hook to the body. With 23 seconds remaining in the round, Allen landed two consecutive overhand rights that sent Fisher down for the first time in the fight. Fisher got up at the nine count by the referee, but his legs were shaky and unstable.

With eight seconds remaining in the round, Allen landed a left and right hook to the body and finished it with a crushing left hook to the head, milliseconds before the sound of the bell that sent Fisher down face first. The referee almost instantly waved the fight off, and shortly after, the towel came flying in from Fisher’s corner.

Out of respect for Fisher being still down, Allen did not celebrate his knockout victory immediately and waited for Fisher to get up before he did.

This Is Why We Love Boxing

Former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua posted on X something that sums up why fans love to tune into the sport. Joshua said, “Dave (Allen) was suicidal, a gambling addict who everyone thought was finished years ago. Now he’s got a family, a few hundred thousand to his name, and got his biggest win…boxing.” You cannot write a better comeback story than that of Allen’s. He was a huge betting underdog in the first fight and a 2-1 underdog in the rematch. This is why you fight the fights, as Allen is certainly leading in the comeback story of 2025.

Where does Allen go from here? If things stay consistent, he likely has gotten the attention of Turki Alalshikh , who loves the heavyweight division, and Allen will land on a future Riyadh Season card for more money than he has ever been paid. For now, Allen will surely take his victory lap, as he should.

This article first appeared on Fights Around The World and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

TODAY'S BEST

Chicago Blackhawks choose not to retain several players
NHL

Chicago Blackhawks choose not to retain several players

The Chicago Blackhawks have a few big decisions to make in the next month about additions to the roster. Who the Blackhawks select with the No. 3 pick will be determined by whether new head coach Jeff Blashill sees Connor Bedard as a centre or wing. Then there’s free agency. General manager Kyle Davidson needs to find value acquisitions via free agency or in the trade market with a young player on contract. Amid Chicago’s roster planning, the team decided to part ways with several players. The Chicago Blackhawks are not likely to sign Victor Soderstrom Per Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Blackhawks are unlikely to sign Victor Söderström. “The Blackhawks aren’t expected to sign defenseman Victor Söderström, whose rights they acquired from the Utah Mammoth at the trade deadline in March,” Powers wrote. The Blackhawks were unsure whether they’d be able to sign Söderström, but they thought it was worth exploring as part of the multi-player trade.” 2021 sixth-round pick Ilya Safonov re-signed with the Ak Bars in the KHL on a one-year deal. Per Powers, Chicago did not offer Safonov an entry-level contract, something the 24-year-old center wants. Kyle Davidson gives up draft rights to several players Per Powers, the team gave up its draft rights to several players. As expected, Dominic James will not sign a deal with the Blackhawks. “The Blackhawks officially relinquished their draft rights to Alex Pharand (fourth round, 2023), Marcel Marcel (fifth round, 2023), Milton Oscarson (sixth round, 2023) and Victor Stjernborg (fourth round, 2021) because they weren’t signed before the deadline on June 1,” Powers wrote. “Marcel has been on an AHL contract the past two seasons and could return to the Rockford IceHogs again next season. “It also still sounds like Dominic James (sixth round, 2022) will not sign a contract with the Blackhawks and will become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15.” The situation with James is a little frustrating for the Blackhawks. Davidson offered him a “pretty (expletive) good opportunity,” but the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs standout wants to test the waters after scoring 14 goals and recording 16 assists in his final college season.

Raiders Reportedly Using Ashton Jeanty in Unique Role at OTAs
NFL

Raiders Reportedly Using Ashton Jeanty in Unique Role at OTAs

The Las Vegas Raiders had the worst rushing attack in the league during the 2024 NFL season. Led by Zamir White and Alexander Mattison, the Silver and Black mustered a league-low 79.8 yards per game on the ground. After winning just four games last season, in large part due to the team's lack of ground success, owner Mark Davis cleaned house this offseason. Davis hired Pete Carroll and John Spytek to be the team's next head coach and general manager. Their first draft selection was Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who comes to Las Vegas after a 2,601-yard, 29-touchdown campaign at Boise State. He and new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly will be tasked with reviving the Raiders' rushing attack in 2025. Many expect Jeanty to be the workhorse back for the Raiders immediately as a rookie. While that is certainly shaping up to be the case, Raiders.com reporter Levi Edwards added that Jeanty has been utilized in a unique role during the team's OTAs. "It seems Kelly is placing Jeanty all over the field, giving him more opportunities to get the ball in open space in last week's practices," Edwards wrote. "This included screen passes and getting the ball to the running back out in the flat." Las Vegas added veteran Raheem Mostert during free agency, who led the NFL in rushing touchdowns during the 2023 season. But it seems that the new brass is investing heavily in their No. 6 overall pick instead of using a committee approach. Jeanty was a slot receiver for a season in high school, and he showed off his pass-catching prowess during his second season at Boise State. During that year, he caught 43 passes for 569 yards and five touchdowns. Any way that Kelly and the Las Vegas staff can get the ball into Jeanty's hands is sure to help the Raiders' offense. With a solid passing attack led by Geno Smith, Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, Jeanty's running ability should keep defenses honest. However, if he is going to be used a pass-catching threat as well, then this could cause headaches for opposing defensive coordinators. It has been a long time since Las Vegas has had a high-end dual-threat running back, but it already appears that they have one in Ashton Jeanty.

Braves designate veteran pitcher for assignment hours after stunning collapse
MLB

Braves designate veteran pitcher for assignment hours after stunning collapse

The Braves are shaking up their bullpen after a heartbreaking loss. David O’Brien of The Athletic reports that the club is going to select right-hander Craig Kimbrel and recall left-hander Dylan Dodd. In corresponding moves, right-hander Daysbel Hernández will land on the 15-day injured list, while righty Scott Blewett will be designated for assignment. The Kimbrel move was reported earlier Thursday. Blewett unfortunately lived up to his name, leading to a deluge of social media jokes at his expense. Atlanta was leading Thursday afternoon’s game against Arizona 9-3 through seven innings. Blewett was put into the game in the eighth and allowed one run, making it 9-4. Atlanta got that run back in the bottom of the eighth, making it 10-4. Blewett was sent back out for the ninth with a six-run lead to protect and three outs to get. He struck out the first batter he faced but the next four reached. With the score having narrowed to 10-7, Atlanta went to closer Raisel Iglesias to get the final two outs. Unfortunately, he allowed Arizona to take an 11-10 lead before getting out of the inning. Atlanta couldn’t score in the bottom of the ninth to stay alive. It was a heartbreaking loss in what has already been a rough stretch for the club. It was their fourth straight L and they are now 3-11 in their past 14 contests. Their overall record is 27-34, putting them behind all the other National League contenders in the standings. Blewett was charged with five earned runs in an inning and a third in today’s dagger. Blewett, 29, is out of options. That’s led him to bounce around the league. He started the season with the Twins on a minor league deal and was added to that club’s roster for a few days in April before getting designated for assignment. He was then claimed off waivers by the Orioles, though that club also designated him for assignment a few days later. That led him to Atlanta on a cash deal. He had a pretty decent run prior to today’s unpleasantness. Between those three clubs, he came into today with 24 innings and a 2.25 earned run average. His 22.8% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate were both around league average while his 58.5% ground ball rate was quite strong. The ERA climbed to 3.91 after today’s game but it’s been a solid season overall. But since he’s out of options and the club is looking to shake things up by adding Kimbrel, a 40-man roster spot was needed, so Blewett heads into DFA limbo. That can last as long as a week but the waiver process takes 48 hours, meaning Atlanta could take as long as five days to explore trade interest. Though he’s out of options, he’s still in his pre-arbitration seasons, meaning he’s cheap. As mentioned, he’s been having a good year, today’s results notwithstanding. As for Hernández, it’s unclear exactly what his injury is but he departed yesterday’s game and appeared to be in discomfort. More information should be revealed when he is officially placed on the injured list.

Chris Getz Shares Injury Update On Chicago White Sox Prospect Colson Montgomery
MLB

Chris Getz Shares Injury Update On Chicago White Sox Prospect Colson Montgomery

Colson Montgomery's Thursday night came with a few highs and lows. He started off strong, slugging a solo home run 435 feet to center field off a sinker. In his third at-bat with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, he scorched another home run, this one with an exit velocity of 108 mph to right field off a curveball. That marked his second two-home run game of the season, both since May 24. But during his next time up, a 91.6 mph sinker hit Montgomery's wrist. He didn't play Friday, but early indications are that he shouldn't be out long. "X-rays were negative," general manager Chris Getz told reporters Friday in Chicago. "There's some soreness in there because he got hit pretty good. We're glad that he dodged a bullet there, so to speak. ... Unfortunately, he did get hit, but he looks to be in a good spot. We hope to minimize the swelling and hope to get him back in the lineup." Montgomery returned to Charlotte on May 13 after spending about two weeks at the team facility in Arizona, working with director of hitting Ryan Fuller after a slow start to the season. In 16 games since then, Montgomery is 16-for-58 (.276) with five doubles, four home runs, 10 RBI, seven walks and 15 strikeouts. "I haven't seen consecutive home runs, or two home runs in a game, like that from Colson Montgomery, let alone the distance in which he struck them and the swings that he took," Getz said. "Yesterday was a good day to pull off a win like we did at the major league level and look down not too far, down in Charlotte, to see Colson hit two home runs."