JOHNNY Fisher has confirmed Tony Sims as his new head coach, perhaps hoping that the experienced trainer will guide him towards a British title shot.
It was just a few months ago that ‘The Romford Bull’ suffered a devastating fifth-round stoppage defeat to Dave Allen while, at the same time, raising several eyebrows with his uncharacteristic performance.
Instead of adopting his usual, more destructive, approach, the fan-friendly heavyweight opted to box on the backfoot and, in doing so, failed to negate the pressure of Allen.
Prior to that, Fisher, 13-1 (11 KOs), found himself in the thick of another torrid fifth round, before eventually edging a controversial split decision against his domestic rival.
But since his two encounters with Allen, the 26-year-old has admitted that, more so from a training perspective, he remains far from the finished product.
As a result, Fisher has now joined forces with Sims, an accomplished Essex-based trainer, while also parting ways with long-term head coach Mark Tibbs.
Elsewhere in that gym, the likes of Conor Benn, Craig Richards, George Liddard and Jimmy Sains have all benefited from the tutelage of Sims, who has previously worked with former world champions Anthony Joshua, Darren Barker and Joe Cordina.
Part of the coaching package, too, is former world title challenger John Ryder, who is swiftly establishing himself as a promising coach in his own right.
Fisher, meanwhile, has made no secret of his ambition to win the British title but, before that, the heavyweight prospect must first enter a less desirable rebuilding phase of his career.
“I’ve always had respect for Tony, and all the boys who train here,” Fisher said in a promo video on Instagram.
“Craig’s behind me, you’ve got Jimmy and George and Conor Benn, some great names [that came] before. John Ryder’s still here.
“To be among them names, and involved in that, I’m going to be pushed [to the limits].”
