Johnny Fisher claimed a controversial split decision victory over Dave Allen on the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk card in Saudi Arabia.
Johnny Fisher vs Dave Allen Result: Fisher wins despite split decision controversy
Heading into the fight, Fisher was long odds-on with the best boxing betting sites to make easy work of Allen, who he frequently sparred with at the beginning of his career.
The result saw the bookmakers get it right but it wasn’t without controversy as many believe Allen did more than enough to come out on top.
The bout began at a quick pace and both contenders made it their intention to come out of the gates quickly looking for an early stoppage, but that was quite short-lived.
The pair looked equally as tired as each other from the fifth round onwards and the fight become a real slog to the finish, but it was consistently Allen landing the better shots at a higher clip.
Fisher looked on top following the first four rounds but when push came to shove, Allen appeared the more solid unit and there’s every reason for his camp to be disheartened.
WATCH: Dave Allen in dismay as Johnny Fisher is announced as winner
What a British Heavyweight Showdown! 👏
Johnny Fisher defeats Dave Allen via split decision. #Usyk2Fury | #RiyadhSeason
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Fisher extends unbeaten run to 13-0 including 11 KOs
Going the distance is seemingly out of character for Fisher, who has landed 11 of his 13 wins by knockout and he looked uncomfortable against Allen in the later rounds.
Shane McGuigan, who coached fighters like Carl Frampton and George Groves, said on Sky Sports Box Office:
“I thought it was very easy to score. This is boxing, this is the business.
“The close rounds when you’re leaning towards the guy that’s selling five-thousand, six-thousand tickets, sometimes those are the decisions that you sway towards that fighter.
“I would be very, very, very disappointed if I was in Dave Allen’s corner.”