Latest news with #JohnnyFisher
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Who are the ‘Bosh Soldiers' of the ‘Romford Bull Army' led by Big John, the viral supporters of Johnny Fisher?
Johnny Fisher, 13-0 (11), returns to action this evening, facing fellow British heavyweight Dave Allen, 23-7-2 (18), in a rematch that is headlining a night of boxing at the Copper Box Arena. An unbeaten prospect with hopes of becoming a household name for his boxing skills, Fisher is better known for his relation to viral internet sensation, Big John. Big John will be in attendance, leading the Bosh soldiers of the Romford Bull Army. Confused by those terms? Let us explain. Who is Big John? Boxers often have their family in their corner, sometimes literally, and Fisher is no different. Formerly a boxer himself, albeit at an amateur level, John Fisher has travelled to the USA and Saudi Arabia in support of his son. Arguably more well-known than his son, Big John has carved out a niche on social media as an internet sensation. Across various accounts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, Big John has amassed over a million followers Big John has created a following based on his large appetite and trademark saying of 'bosh', leading to his fans being referred to as the 'Bosh Army'. A connoisseur of Chinese takeaways, Big John and Fisher have been spotted sharing some chicken balls to celebrate a win for the Romford Bull in the past. Big John picked up 'bosh' from his friend and fellow Romford personality Tom Skinner. His son has also utilised the term, referring to tonight's venue as the Copper 'Bosh' Arena. Who are the Romford Bull Army? Whilst Big John has his own Bosh Army, his son's supporters are named the 'Romford Bull Army'. There is overlap between the two, with members of the Romford Bull Army labelled 'Bosh Soldiers' by Big John, who has stylised himself as the group's leader. Fisher's supporters named themselves after their favourite fighter's nickname, a term given to the Essex-born heavyweight when he was sparring in Las Vegas. American trainers were impressed with his style, stating that he fought like a bull. Raised in Romford, Fisher added his hometown to the descriptor to create his new moniker. Partly thanks to their viral leader, Big John, the Romford Bull Army have a healthy presence on social media, with 15,000 followers on Instagram. Other famous members include Ethan Payne, a YouTuber better known as Behzinga, who is part of the Sidemen, a group of YouTubers with 22m followers. On their Instagram account, the Romford Bull Army shows plenty of support for their man, selling merchandise and organising watch parties for Fisher's fights. The Romford Bull Army travel well, having supported Fisher out in Las Vegas and Riyadh, but they will not have far to travel to east London this evening. Fisher's supporters were in full voice during Friday's press conference, indicating that he will have quite a few fans in attendance when he faces Dave Allen.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Fisher-Allen II: Three other controversial matches that led to return bouts
This Saturday will see a rematch between Johnny Fisher and Dave Allen when the pair meet at the Copper Box Arena in London. After first meeting at the end of last year in Riyadh, the pair went to a ten-round split decision that ended in a win for Fisher. Despite – or, maybe, because of – the victory, controversy rose around the scoring. While one judge thought that Fisher had lost by three points, the two others gave it to him by a single notch each. There was a good argument for Fisher having lost. He was knocked down in the fifth round, went toe-to-toe with Allen for much of the fight, and looked at the end as if every second in the bout had been an arduous one. And now, this weekend, the pair meet again. Judgement is a matter of shades. Controversy within boxing is not unusual. It is far more the rule than the exception, with many fights over the years generating such controversy first time around that a rematch has become immediately imminent. Corrales-Castillo When Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo met in 2005, few were excited by their lightweight unification. Corrales was 39-2 (32) and was coming in after tough fights against Joel Casamayor and Acelino Freitas. Castillo, meanwhile, had also taken a split decision over Casamayor. He had beaten the decent Juan Lazcano, too, and stopped Julio Diaz in ten. But Castillo was most famous for pushing Floyd Mayweather Jr to a decision in 2002 in a bout that many thought he had won. Magic entered the building at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas that night when Corrales and Castillo met. They pair went toe-to-toe for ten rounds until Castillo put Corrales down, twice, on the floor. In pain, Corrales let his gumshield slip from his mouth during the first knockdown. He spat it out deliberately on the second and lost a point. His coach, placing it back into his mouth, said, 'You better ****ing get inside on him now.' Corrales did. Fewer than thirty seconds later, he pitched Castillo against the ropes and punched him until the referee stopped it. The pair of them returned five months later, but Castillo missed the weight limit by 3.5lbs. The fight went ahead anyway, and a weight-drained Corrales was knocked out in the fourth. A third fight between the pair was set to end the controversy, but was cancelled after Castillo missed the weight again, that time by 4.5lbs. Huck-Arslan The pair first met in 2012 in Halle, Germany, where Huck, the WBO cruiserweight champion, won a unanimous decision over former WBA champion Arslan. Despite the wide scorecards, the decision was controversial and the pair rematched fourteen months later in Stuttgart. This time, Huck left no doubt by stopping Arslan in six rounds. Both men are still fighting many years later. Huck, now 40, last appeared in a boxing ring last June in Berlin. Arslan, now 54, last fought in a small show in his gym in Goeppingen, Germany, in October. But while they have not appeared against each other for a third time, they are often pictured together at shows, having seemingly become friends years after their two fights. Abraham-Smith When Liverpool fighter Paul Smith went to Kiel, Germany, in 2014, few expected him to be anything more than a foil for the German super-middleweight Arthur Abraham. Abraham had been fighting in Germany since 2003, only ever lost decisively to elite fighters when on foreign soil, and had been matched carefully by his promoters for years. Smith expected much different of himself. His family and friends spoke of how dedicated he had been in his training, and of how had left no stone unturned. It sounded like hyperbole, the words that all supporters say before a big fight. But then Smith outworked and outmanoeuvred Abraham over twelve, tightly contested rounds. The only thing Smith did not do was outpoint Abraham, losing a unanimous decision. Such was the controversy over the result that the pair met again, five months later in Berlin and in front of a much-bigger crowd. This time, though, Abraham seemed to be better prepared and he took another decision – this one now thought to be much fairer.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Who is Johnny Fisher? Fight record, stats, next bout, and more
Johnny Fisher returns to the ring this weekend when he faces Dave Allen for a second time, but who is the man they call the 'Romford Bull'? The unbeaten heavyweight garnered notoriety at the end of 2024 for his controversial victory over Allen – and his internet sensation father 'Big John'. But 26-year-old Fisher is a fighter first-and-foremost, a heavyweight with big ambitions on the world stage. Who is Johnny Fisher? Born and raised in Romford, Essex, Fisher was a keen sportsman as he grew up. Not only did he start boxing in his early teens, but his physique and strength translated well to rugby. Fisher briefly drifted away from the sweet science, but returned to boxing whilst studying history at Exeter University. Whilst at uni, he sparred with Joe Joyce, partly reigniting his love for the sport. He turned professional in 2021, securing a first-round stoppage against Matt Gordon at Wembley Arena. Fisher currently trains under the watchful eye of Mark Tibbs at the Origin Gym in Essex. What is Johnny Fisher's record? Fisher remains unbeaten since starting his professional career in 2021, with 13 wins from 13 bouts. Impressively, Fisher has won 11 of those fights by way of knockout, including a run of seven straight stoppages until his split decision win over Dave Allen last time out. After his debut in February 2021, Fisher racked up experience. He fought a further three times in 2021, before settling into a rhythm of three fights a year in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Aside from his victory against Allen, Fisher had respectable wins over Dmytro Bezus and Alen Babic, who had respectively records of 10-1 and 12-1 at the time. Fisher's bout with Bezus was staged in Las Vegas, with the 'Romford Bull' fighting on the undercard of Conor Benn's victory against Peter Dobson alongside stablemates George Liddard and Jimmy Sains. When is Johnny Fisher's next fight? Johnny Fisher returns to action this weekend, when he headlines a card at the Copperbox Arena, London, live on DAZN. He faces fellow Brit Dave Allen in a rematch, following Fisher's somewhat controversial victory against the Yorkshireman in Saudi Arabia last year. Knocked down by Allen, Fisher did well to recover, but many fans felt that the Romford Bull was beaten by his opponent. The card takes place on Saturday, May 17, with the main event ringwalks set for approximately 10pm.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Recap of all the action at the Copper Box as headline event sees Dave Allen stop Johnny Fisher
Dave Allen took all the headlines on Saturday night thanks to his impressive fifth-round stoppage of Johnny Fisher, the veteran's experience proving too much for his younger opponent. Most of the evening's intrigue hinged on the main event, which saw two British heavyweights scrapping it out for the WBA intercontinental title . Allen, now 24-7-2 (19), avenged his controversial loss to Fisher, now 13-1 (11), in Riyadh at the end of 2024, leaving fans and pundits wondering what is next for the White Rhino – and his vanquished opponent. Catch all the latest boxing action on DAZN Whilst the Copper Box was primarily filled by punters interested in the main event, there was plenty of boxing action in east London. Here we have a round-up of all the action on the undercard, surmising seven fights. Fisher-Allen 2 preliminary fights see prospects improve their records The preliminary fights before the main card set the tone at the Copper Box. Emmanuel Buttigieg improved his unbeaten start to professional boxing with a third-round stoppage over Serbian Novak Radulovic, extending his record to 9-0 (3). The British middleweight knocked down his opponent in the second, before the referee intervened in the third. Fellow unbeaten prospect Taylor Bevan was in similarly good form, securing a second-round TKO over Juan Cruz Cacheiro. Super middleweight Bevan picked off his opponent in the first round, before unleashing a volley of unanswered punches that saw the referee step in. Commonwealth games silver medallist Bevan improves to 4-0 (4), with all four of his fights ending in the first two rounds. Shannon Ryan, now 9-1 (1), ended up on top of a bloody affair against Spaniard Fara El Bousairi. El Bousairi claimed that a huge cut on the right side of her face stemmed from an elbow of Ryan's; despite all the blood, the fight went the distance as Ryan ended up winner on points. The fourth fight of the evening also went the distance, with John Hedges, now 11-0 (3), earning the English cruiserweight title over Nathan Quarless, now 13-2 (0). One of four Essex fighters on the card, Hedges was in complete control as he earned a unanimous decision victory over the Liverpool man. Fisher-Allen 2 main card filled with knockouts Fellow Essex native Jimmy Sains, now 10-0 (9), earned the BBBofC southern area belt at middleweight in similar fashion, dominating his bout against Gideon Onyenani, now 7-5 (0), for a unanimous decision win in the first bout of the main card. Although defeated, Onyenani will take heart from being the first fighter to go the distance with Sains. The rest of the evening was filled with knockouts. Despite some good signs from challenger Gerome Warburton, now 15-2-2 (2), in the opening round, Commonwealth middleweight Kieron Conway, now 23-3-1 (7), quickly proved too much for the Welshman. A final blitz in the fourth round was enough for the contest to be stopped early, with Conway adding the British middleweight title to his Commonwealth strap. The chief support act also delivered, with George Liddard, now 12-0 (7), flying out the gates against Aaron Sutton, now 19-2 (3). Liddard had his Bristolian opponent down in the first and second rounds, but Sutton somehow survived the onslaught when it looked like he was overwhelmed. However, it proved to be Sutton only prolonging the inevitable, with another flurry from Liddard getting the stoppage in the fifth round. Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Fisher vs Allen 2: Undercard results
Dave Allen just beat Johnny Fisher by knockout to avenge their controversial first fight in Saudi Arabia last year . But this was not the only action tonight as three other all-British showdowns stacked the undercard and they did not dissapoint. Here was happened in the supporting acts for Fisher vs Allen 2. Jimmy Sains vs Gideon Onyenani Jimmy Sains claimed his first professional belt, comfortably outpointing a durable Gideon Onyenani to win the Southern Area Title. The four-time amateur national champion boxed with knockout intent from the opening bell, throwing fast jabs followed up by accurate combinations. But Onyenani came to fight and looked to close the distance to Sains, using his physicality to push the Brentwood man back to the ropes. Through the first half of the fight, Sains had already banked himself a comfortable lead by picking off Onyenani as he charged in, made easier by the fact that fighter from Kent did not cover his approach with any punches. The new Southern Area champion continued his good work into the final stanzas of the fight, landing heavy 1-2s and using his left hook to great effect. Onyenani's corner loudly urged him to press the action and come forward, which he obliged - but it was not enough as Sains proved himself as the more well-rounded boxer, able to outbox his opponent on the inside and at range. Kieron Conway vs Gerome Warburton Kieron Conway defended his British and Commonwealth title in emphatic fashion, forcing the corner of Gerome Warburton to throw in the towel in the fourth round. The first three rounds were all-action with the pair going toe-to-toe exchanging volleys of multi-shot combinations up close. The writing was on the wall however as Conway would have the better of almost all of these back-and-forths - landing cleaner and heavier shots. Warburton did his best to impose himself on the British and Commonwealth champion but Conway's ability to make 'The Bread Maker' miss by an inch and make him pay with viscous body shots saw Warburton start to struggle. As the fourth round progressed, Conway had Warburton backed into a corner and found a home for a looping left hook around the elbow of the challenger, which sent him to the ropes. The Northampton native thought the fight might have been over then, taking a momentary pause before unloading three more punches to Warburton. His corner had seen enough and threw in the towel. George Liddard dispatched Aaron Sutton with a fifth-round stoppage, scoring three knockdowns on his way to victory. The 22-year-old put on a display of lights-out power, putting Sutton on the Canvas in the first minute of the fight with a picture-perfect left-hook. It looked to be a flash knockdown as Sutton seemed to have all of his faculties and quickly resumed as if nothing had happened. The Bristol fighter showed incredible heart to stay in the fight, but he did not have enough to deter Liddard who relentlessly pursued his man and landed a vicious overhand right, flooring Sutton again in the second round. After the second knockdown the former Southern Area champ never really recovered and could not put a dent in Liddard who donned a cheeky grin as he slowly dismantled Sutton. The assault continued into the fifth and what would be the final round of the fight. Liddard looked unphased by the punches coming his way, absorbing or avoiding the best that Sutton had before landing a right hook on the inside that put an end to the fight as the corner threw in the towel.
