British big man Johnny Fisher on the comeback trail

Johnny Fisher returns. A highly contentious victory and a rematch loss against the same opponent doesn't necessarily qualify the youthful pug's next fight as a comeback but boxing is a peculiar story teller these days. Inescapable is the recalibration of the rampant optimism that was surrounding the popular ticket seller in the build up to those back to back fights with Dave Allen. 

Ticket sellers always return. At 26, the Romford Bull is still a work in progress. A meaty puncher, he lacks guile and craft and against Dave Allen - who is a much more capable fighter than often he permits himself to be - Fisher discovered he had neither the boxing wiles or the speed and power to deter the Doncaster man.

With natural size advantages rendered redundant by Allen's ability to neutralise those hefty swings and as a more natural distance fighter, Fisher became impotent offensively and was knocked out spectacularly in their second fight. As Fisher discovered, Allen is capable when prepared and the younger man had some backward steps to take. The journeyman and European novices Fisher had been knocking over with his baying crowd urging him on hadn't provided sufficient preparation and it will much more difficult to provide the building steps he needs to progress.

He won't be written off. Allen has lost fights, Chisora did too, Michael Sprott another who found different routes around the heavyweight circuit. Fisher is a long way beneath their standards but remains an interesting project and it will be valuable to see if new trainer Tony Sims has added anything to the big man's repertoire. Accepting the controversy around his 'victory' over Allen and booking the immediate rematch which led to defeat showed grace and sportsmanship and added to his appeal. Now comes the return to boxing.

Buried deeper on the under card of Matchroom's traditional December card in Monte Carlo, Fisher is spared some of the spotlight he'd previously drawn and faces Ivan Balaz. The Slovakian is booked as a late replacement and boxes out of the Czech Republic. Tall and stiff, he has compiled a 7-0 record in two and half years as a professional. A win over Tomas Salek, who was 22-6 when Balaz stopped him in two rounds, looks to substantiate that record but it is a misleading highlight. Scrutiny of Salek's wins offer little credibility and first and second round losses to Kash Ali, Richard Torrez Jr and Nathan Gorman prove him to be an import with a padded record and little to help legitimise Balaz.

In Balaz's last fight he fought a fat man who wore trainers. He looked ponderous, predictable and left his chin in the air. Not the fat man, Balaz.

To conclude, Balaz has been booked to stand in front of Fisher and get knocked out. And he will. In the first round. Fisher is then presented as reborn under new tutelage and will hopefully box multiple times in more progressive fights in 2026.

He needn't rush back toward Dave Allen.

There is plenty of time.