Dave Allen believes that a rematch with Johnny Fisher ‘will only go one way’ if the British heavyweights do, as rumored, renew hostilities.

Although he escaped with a split decision victory and his undefeated record intact, Fisher suffered a perforated eardrum and hit the canvas for the first time when the pair met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last December.

Although Allen refrained from calling the decision a robbery, the vast majority of neutral observers felt that he deserved to have his hand raised.

It seemed all but certain that the pair would go their separate ways and reconvene down the line, by which time - and let’s not be coy about this - the ticket selling Fisher’s chance of scoring a more comprehensive victory would have improved.

To their credit, it seems like the Essex heavyweight and his team have decided to plunge straight back into a rematch.

Last week, Eddie Hearn stated that ‘The Romford Bull’ had agreed his side of a deal for a return and that he believes the fight could sell out London’s O2 Arena. A May date has been floated.

On Tuesday, Allen, 23-7-2 (18 KOs), appeared on Sky Sports and confirmed that he and Fisher, 13-0 (11 KOs), could well meet again soon.

“I believe so. After the fight, I said, ‘If Johnny Fisher wants to do it, we'll do it. If not, I understand and we'll respect that and go elsewhere,’ he said.

“I've had a few defeats. I will box anybody in the world. I'm not the best in the world, but I'll happily box anybody. It's of no concern to me. I'll fight at any given time.”

Allen, 32, has seen everything the business of boxing has to offer and his initial reaction to a potential rematch was typical of the laissez-faire approach he has taken towards the sport in recent years.

That attitude has hardened in the intervening weeks.

His performance in Saudi Arabia has clearly rekindled his appetite for the sport. Allen is already back training at Jamie Moore’s gym and seems to have determined that if Fisher is one of Britain’s most well regarded heavyweight prospects, then his own dreams of winning the British heavyweight title remain very much alive.

He admits that he was surprised by Team Fisher’s change in tack but now insists that if he could come so close to springing a massive shock after spending the best part of three years in the boxing wilderness, he will leave little doubt next time.

"A little bit, yeah, because I think it's the wrong fight for him but, realistically, where else does he go because he can go and fight someone else and get beat anyway,” he said.

“His ceiling's been shown now.

“He's been beat by me - in lots of people's eyes - who hasn't boxed for years. You've got to put that right. If he wants to continue on on his trajectory of going to the top or wherever they see him to be going, he has to beat me.

“After the ten rounds over there, I got back to the gym and I thought, ‘Wow, I'm a boxer again.’

“I was hitting the bag and my hands were up. I thought, ‘Wow, I used to be a boxer back in the day.’”

“I honestly think the rematch, if and when it happens, it will only go one way.”