Off the back of his shock loss to heavyweight veteran Dave Allen earlier this summer, Johnny Fisher has made wholesale changes to his camp.
Landing a controversial split decision win over Allen in their first pairing, Fisher nabbed the WBA inter-continental heavyweight championship.
But rematching in May, Fisher saw his unbeaten record snapped at 13 fights, with Allen scoring a resounding fifth-round TKO victory for an upset win.
And yet to book his return to the ring in the time since, Fisher has explained the reasoning for his drastic change in training camp and tutelage.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty ImagesJohnny Fisher explains decision to ditch trainer after first pro loss
Seldom in boxing does a fighter remain with their initial team late into their careers, and London prospect Fisher certainly isn’t one to buck that trend.
Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images
Ditching his head coach Mark Tibbs after the loss, Fisher is now set to link up with Tony Sims — a former coach to Anthony Joshua, and a current trainer to former super middleweight title challenger John Ryder and his British compatriot, Conor Benn.
And while the split was an agreed move for Fisher — who seems to have the blessing of Tibbs, the up-and-coming heavyweight wants to make it clear why he made the decision.
“I need somewhere — a fresh start or rejuvenation,” Fisher told Seconds Out. “I take full blame and responsibility for the loss [to Allen]. I’m the man who goes in there. I’m the one who goes about the business.
“…I probably wasn’t vocal enough in the build up as to what I think was right,” Fisher explained. “But that’s the game, mate. We win and lose as a team, but ultimately, it falls on my shoulders. And I’m the one who takes full responsibility.”
And now, under the guidance of Sims, Fisher is expected to get one more fight in before the end of the year.
Eddie Hearn targets end-of-year return for Johnny Fisher
Hoping to secure Fisher some sizeable fights as early as next year, Matchroom Boxing leader Eddie Hearn has revealed his timeframe for a potential return for the former.
As far as he’s concerned, while he expected the prospect to beat Allen during their series of fights, the Londoner is still quite new to the sport and has plenty of time to grow and learn. Starting potentially as soon as November.
Two months after going to war for a second time, Dave Allen is now training Johnny Fisher 🤝
📽️ Dave Allen via Instagram pic.twitter.com/LH1IqSI3kR
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) July 8, 2025
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“We’re planning for him (Fisher) to return sometime in November or December,” Hearn told BoxingScene.
“…You need a fight that brings back confidence. In the heavyweight division, every bout carries risk—but Johnny is still young, he’s got time, and we just want to make the right moves before pushing toward the big fights in 2026,” Hearn continued.