Likeable rogue Johnny Fisher got back in the win column last night but much was revealed about his potential to sustain a career worthy of the legion of fans who buy tickets and the attention his promoter affords him. The flaws are multiple, significant and likely, ruinous.
On Saturday night, Johnny Fisher stepped into the peculiar hallway that breaches the backstage of boxing and the front of house. The certainty felt in preview, that Fisher would soon confirm his superiority over the imported Ivan Balaz, began to dissolve.
In Monte Carlo, as is becoming the norm these days, Fisher stood alone. Music blaring and the cameraman zooming ever closer on the broad shoulders and cushion wide head of Romford's favourite bruiser. The chestnut beard matched the eyes, which looked furtively at the mirrors, ring lights and collection of penguin suits staring back from the anonymity of the dark and his own certainty seemed to fade too. As a young man with self-imposed expectation and a knockout loss in his last fight, the moment looked lonely. If ever a fighter needed the firm hand of a trusted second on his shoulder it was Fisher on Saturday night as he strode into the dawn of spotlights and a chorus of boorish affection. I was reminded of Eddie the Eagle standing at the top of an impossible ramp, the view running away toward a leap into the unknown way back at the '88 Winter Olympics. Fisher, like Eddie, didn't exude confidence nor bristle with intent.
Those few seconds is enough to suffocate lesser men. Thankfully, Fisher had the entirely modest prospect of Ivan Balaz waiting for him in the ring. The Slovakian based in the Czech Republic held 7 wins out of the 7 fights he'd mustered in a few years as professional but it was a record built not with the lumber of good men felled, but with the lollipop sticks of hapless men in anonymous venues. Review of his last fight showed an unrefined, stiff, upright novice who had to think before he threw and failed to twist in to his punches. In short, he was ordinary, slow, inexperienced and punched from the shoulder. He was a low risk prospect, drafted in as a late replacement to pose little threat to Fisher if the Englishman could jab and land a right hand on a chin Balaz left as high on the line as washing on a summer's day.
This thesis proved wildly optimistic. It assumes durability and composure Fisher was unable to summon on the night and a grasp of the fundamentals he is proving unable to demonstrate on a consistent basis. Walking forward in a hurry without a jab of note and crashing wild hooks from left and right will take care of a host of patrons of the 'have gloves will travel' association but eventually clubbing a dozen of those like tent pegs leads to someone with ambition; like Dave Allen.
And then calamity visits.
Changing trainer from Mark Tibbs to Tony Sims was hoped to provide a kind of cathartic renewal and in the early exchanges it was noticeable that Fisher's cogs moved enough to remember to 'dip your knees, roll, try and off-set him'. In action, it looked like someone reading instructions on a new Ikea chest of drawers. Contrived and deployed irrespective of the distance Fisher was from the target, it was a tactic that served little tangible purpose. Habits take time to form and judging Fisher on this performance by that benchmark is unfair but the evidence presented in other spheres of boxing was hard to ignore. Fisher did the little dip and roll routine, then stood up in his stance and set about doing what he always does - wail away without thought.
Hasty, nervous, careless.
Worst of the revelations of Fisher's failings was the sense every time Balaz landed even a glancing blow Fisher was disorientated and disorganised. He hit the deck and was fortunate not to have a knockdown ruled. Stability compromised, his barely functioning footwork became unsustainable and walked him toward ever more danger, his knees now jerking back and forth as he struggled for basic solidity in his stance.
In the end, a huge left uppercut to Balaz's nether regions proved a turning point. It afforded Fisher recovery time from the punishment he'd received, which didn't amount to many clean blows, and shortly afterward Balaz's own resolve and stamina began to fade. Eventually, as the fourth round unravelled so did Balaz, and Fisher found enough coordination of his footwork to land heavy hooks. Flooring his opponent twice. Not long afterward the final blow was landed and Fisher had snatched what had appeared an unlikely victory from the jaws of defeat.
If there was caution before this fight, it is easy to presume the caution will become even more intensely applied in the New Year. There are probably 10 British heavyweights who would relish the chance to bring an end to the Fisher storyline and the pay day attached.
I'm beginning to think Fisher knows they could too.