“I Wouldn’t Allow It”: Dave Allen Rules Out Trilogy with Johnny Fisher After Dominant Fifth-Round Knockout in London Rematch, But Eddie Hearn Confirms Rematch Clause

Heavyweight Dave Allen (24-7-2, 18 KOs) ruled out a trilogy match happening with Johnny Fisher (13-1, 11 KOs) after knocking him out in the fifth round on Saturday night in their rematch at the Copper Box Arena in London, England.

(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom)

Hearn Confirms Rematch Clause

Allen said it wouldn’t be in Fisher’s best “interest” for him to fight a trilogy match. He doesn’t want to wreck Johnny’s career. However, Fisher’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, revealed that they have a rematch clause. He said they won’t immediately take the rematch with Allen, because he wants to put him in a rebuilding fight first.

Tonight, Allen dropped Fisher twice in the fifth round to get the knockout. He caught Fisher, 26, with a left hook to the jaw, sending him down for the second knockdown. The referee, Marcus McDonnell, halted the contest as soon as Fisher hit the canvas.

Fisher’s Corner Throws Towel

His corner threw in the towel to ensure the contest was halted. It didn’t matter. Fisher was so badly hurt that he wouldn’t have been able to get up off the canvas.

Fisher had expended a lot of energy, moving around the ring. When he stood his ground, he used a lot of holding to neutralize Allen’s offense, but he still connected with a couple of big shots in each round.

Interestingly, Allen didn’t open up with his offense until the fifth. He’d purposefully held back in rounds 1 through 4, playing possum and letting Fisher expend energy.

In the fifth, Allen finally opened up with his offense, landing a hard left to the body followed by a clubbing punch to the side of the head. Fisher took off like a rocket, showing that he’d been hurt. Allen cut off the ring and left a right to the head to put him down. When Fisher stood up, his legs looked unsteady, and he didn’t look in good shape.

Allen then chased Fisher to the ropes and hit him to the breadbasket with a left followed by a right. Those shots were thrown hard. Fisher instinctively dropped his hands to cover up his midsection, which left him wide open for Allen to connect with a crushing left hook to the jaw that snapped his head sideways. Fisher collapsed face-first on the canvas, and the referee, McDonnell, stopped the fight.

“I wouldn’t allow it to happen because it’s not in his best interest,” said Davd Allen to DAZN Boxing when asked if fans will see a trilogy match between him and Johnny Fisher after his fifth-round knockout win on Saturday night. “There are lots of fights out there for me. I like boxing at my level. There are some competitive fights. I win some and I lose some.”

Allen will have no choice about the rematch. Hearn already said they have a rematch clause, and they intend to use it. Fisher doesn’t have many options for fights that are as well-paying as this one that are semi-winnable for him.

“He just knew too much in there. Maybe he [Fisher] shouldn’t have taken the rematch. Dave said maybe he shouldn’t have, but he wanted to put the wrongs right,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “It’s a real Cinderella story. We’re back with Dave. It’s going to be interesting to see what’s next.

“There is a rematch clause, but that’s got to be down the line. Johnny has got to come back and rebuild. I’d like to see him come back and headline in Sheffield in his hometown in a big fight. He deserves it. He can fight. He can cause a lot of people problems. If anyone was going to break Johnny Fisher’s heart, it was Dave Allen. He’s a great man and he deserves the win,” said Hearn.