Johnny Fisher suffered a concerning blood clot in his ear following his bout with Dave Allen, an injury he claims pales in comparison to those from his days playing rugby.
In their previous fight, Fisher was knocked down in the fifth round but managed to recover and secure a debated split-decision win in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the victory, he required immediate medical attention, visiting a local hospital in Riyadh for a brain scan and a procedure to drain blood from his left ear.
The resilient “Romford Bull” is now preparing for a rematch against Allen this Saturday at London`s Copper Box, six months after their initial intense encounter.
Fisher commented on the medical protocols: “I had the blood drained from behind my ear, and they performed a scan as a standard check, which is appropriate. I`m a huge rugby fan, and the head injury assessments they have introduced are very effective.”
“You don`t always know the immediate impact; it`s the long-term effects years later that matter. It`s good that medical professionals are taking every precaution because we participate in a dangerous sport, but it`s a risk we accept.”
Before turning professional in 2021 post-lockdown, Fisher had only ten amateur boxing matches, winning nine by first-round knockout. However, he had to abandon his aspirations of becoming a rugby star, a sport where he argues he experienced tougher physical battles than in boxing.
He recalled: “There were more cuts, more broken thumbs and shoulders, and players using `dark arts` during scrums and so on. Rugby was a dangerous environment, even playing with the `posh boys` at Exeter University!”
Fisher, 26, was dropped by the 33-year-old Allen after briefly losing concentration in the ring following a clinch. However, the former second-row forward vows to maintain focus this time, even with the potentially lively atmosphere in East London.
“I`m ready to be drawn into a brawl and just stand in the middle of the ring,” he stated confidently. “You couldn`t knock me out last time, so why do you think you`ll succeed now? And I don`t have a blood clot on my ear this time, so I won`t be mistakenly listening when you say `break` in the middle of the ring.”
He admitted his error in the first fight: “He caught me with a punch, he said break, and I paused, and he landed a left hook. It was simply foolish on my part. If that hadn`t happened, it would have been a different outcome.”
Oliver Croft