Meet Allison Fisher, the GOAT of Women’s Pool
Allison Fisher is undoubtedly the greatest women’s pool player of all time. She is among the few billiards players who have won championships in both snooker and pool.
The “Duchess of Doom”, as many people in the pool world call her, has won almost 100 championships. She has at least 11 world titles and has set some impressive records over the years.
In addition to her successes in the pool and snooker tables, she is also contributing to the game’s growth through exhibitions and teaching upcoming players.
In this article, you get to learn more about her. We look at everything from how she started playing and her transition from snooker to her major championships and titles.
Who is Allison Fisher?
Allison Fisher is a professional pool player born on February 24th, 1968 in Cheshunt, England. She is one of the most skilful and precise female players of all time, and is known for her sportsmanship and dedication to the sport. She’s also a great role model for young players.
She is considered one of the greatest female pool players, having won over 80 national titles and at least 11 world championships. Fisher is also in a small list of female players who have succeeded in both snooker and pool.
Fisher became interested in snooker and started playing the game when she was just 7. This was after seeing the game being played on television. She continued to play throughout her teenage years and even joined a league.
Allison Fisher won her first national title when she was 15. Only 2 years later, she won her first world title at just 17 – the Women’s World Snooker Championship.
Allison Fisher’s Championships
Fisher started as a snooker player and dominated both national and world competitions while still very young. She won several national and world snooker championships before switching to pool after migrating to the USA in 1995.
Her transition to pool was smooth, given how good she was at snooker. She won her first pool championship (WPBA Orlando Classic) the first year she played. Here is an overview of her major championships in both snooker and pool:
Snooker Championships
1. Women’s World Snooker Championship (7 times)
- 1985 – Beat Stacey Hillyard in the final with a 5–1 final score
- 1986 – Beat Sue LeMaich in the final with a 5–0 final score
- 1988 – Beat Ann-Marie Farren in the final with a 6–1 final score
- 1989 – Beat Ann-Marie Farren in the final with a 6–5 final score
- 1991 – Beat Karen Corr in the final with an 8–2 final score
- 1993 – Beat Stacey Hillyard in the final with a 9–3 final score
- 1994 – Beat Stacey Hillyard in the final with a 9–3 final score
2. World Masters (women’s doubles and mixed doubles)
- 1991 – Won the women’s doubles event. She played with Stacey Hillyard, and they beat Karen Corr and Ann-Marie Farren 5–2.
- 1991 – Won the mixed doubles. She played with Steve Davis, and they beat Jimmy White and Caroline Walch 6–3.
Pool Championships
1. WPA World 9 Ball Championship (4 times)
- 1996 – She beat Jeanette Lee in the finals
- 1997 – She beat Jennifer Chen in the finals
- 1998 – She beat Franziska Stark in the finals
- 2001 – She beat Karen Corr in the finals
2. ESPN Ultimate 9 Ball Challenge
Fisher won the ESPN Ultimate 9 Ball Challenge in 1997 and 1999. She also won the ESPN Ultimate Shootout in 1998 and 1999.
3. Tournament of Champions (6 times)
- 1998
- 2000
- 2001
- 2002
- 2004
- 2016
4. World Games
- 2009 – She won gold in the women’s 9-ball singles event at the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Allison defeated Jasmin Ouschan in the finals.
The Duchess of Doom vs. The Black Widow
Allison Fisher, “The Duchess of Doom,” and Jeanette Lee, “The Black Widow,” are two of the greatest female pool players ever. Both have won dozens of national and world championships.
The two greats emerged in the early 1990s and had one of the most iconic rivalries in the sport’s history, pitting the two most dominant figures in women’s pool in that period. Their contrasting personalities and drive to be the best fueled a legendary rivalry.
Fisher had a more stoic demeanor, while Jeanette was a more flamboyant player who liked showing off her skills and loved intimidating opponents by always wearing all black.
Their rivalry was a big part of women’s pool in the 1990s and was the highlight of many pool tournaments. It also helped elevate the profile of women’s pool. The two played many matches in the 90s and early 2000s, with each player winning several times.
You can watch one of their most memorable showdowns during the 2003 WPBA Delta Classic HERE.
They also had a more recent match in 2021 at the Ladies’ 9-ball quarterfinals during the Omega Diamond Open. This was a special match as it was one of the first appearances by the Black Widow after undergoing chemotherapy for her stage 4 ovarian cancer. You can watch the match HERE.
Allison Fisher’s Sponsors and Partners
Fisher started playing with a one-piece snooker cue, but in her pool career, she has mostly used 2-piece cues.
Allison Fisher uses Cuetec cues but has used cues from several major cue manufacturers in her long career. Fisher has partnered with major cue manufacturers, including Predator and Meucci. She has also had several other sponsors, including more recent ones like OB and Playcraft.
Fisher also partnered with Pechauer Cues to create her own line of cues manufactured in the USA.
Allison Fisher’s Career Earnings and Net Worth
Fisher has won almost every major championship in women’s pool. Although earnings in pool are not as high as other more lucrative sports, she has still made a solid income from her championships and sponsors.
Her earnings from competition winnings since going professional are around $1.5 million. She has a net worth of between $8 and $10 million, but this is just an estimate as she is yet to make the exact figure public.
Other Awards and Achievements
1. Billiards Congress of America (BCA) Hall of Fame – Inducted in 2009
2. Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) Hall of Fame – Inducted in 2016
3. Billiards Digest Player of the Year – Fisher has been named Billiards Digest Player of the Year more times than any other female pool player. She won the award every year between 1996 and 2000 and from 2002 to 2007.
4. Billiards Digest Player of the Decade – She was named player of the decade twice – for the 90s and 2000s.
5. Pool & Billiard Magazine Fans #1 Favorite Player – She was the number 1 fan favorite player in 2007.
6. Member of the Order of the British Empire – Fisher was appointed in 2022 in recognition of her service and contribution to sports.
Where is Allison Fisher now?
Fisher now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and is no longer as active in competitive pool as she was a few years ago. She is still, however, heavily involved in the sport through her academy and exhibitions.
Allison’s Academy trains pool players on select weekends throughout the year. The sessions are open to players of all skill levels, but there are only 6 open spots per session to ensure more personalized training.
How to Follow Allison Fisher
Fisher is active across some social media platforms. She often shares videos on YouTube where she answers fans’ questions and provides insights on the game. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Wrap Up
Allison Fisher is undoubtedly one of the greatest women’s pool players ever. Her national and world title haul is quite impressive, and very few players in all of pool can even come close.
She also holds some impressive records, such as most consecutive tournament wins and most player of the year awards.
In addition to her successes on the table, she has been instrumental in elevating women’s pool and is further helping develop the sport through her academy and exhibitions. Her success in both snooker and pool will forever be a source of inspiration to aspiring pool players across the world.
As always, Happy Shooting!