Fighter could use some adjustments, however the core issue is that everything else is ridiculously too powerful and should be nerfed. Fighter used to be in the top 1:1 DPS alongside Lances when it first came out, but its glory came to an end when Puppets introduced Act 7. Then the massive strength influx and Renovation became a huge boon to Close Combat, Lances, and Magic.
Faster animations and reduced cooldowns can help Fighter keep going, though a movement speed increase isn't needed (especially not for Elves) due to Tumble. Respite definitely needs a huge buff, the aftereffect thing is pretty dumb (especially when there's a weapon that pairs fighter and magic) and the recovery is pretty negligible.
respite definitely needs a buff, 75 hp and 75 stam isnt much....especially when it makes you unable to use magic or alch for a short time w/o negative side effects. even a new player can easily get around 300 hp w/o too much trouble, and later on when you have 600, 800, 1000+ hp, 75 hp is barely gonna make a difference, not when you have potions (esepcially with that one skill that makes them stronger sometimes) and when you have things like shield of trusts healing hands, which heals much more than 75 hp at max, up to 210 every 40 seconds, every 20 seconds once g20 is out. the only thing i use respite for these days is to get rid of poisoning...but wait, my pegasus can do that too.....w/o the negative side effects and 1/2 the cd.
the skills need to be sped up, maybe to the speed they are during demi, their cds need to be reduced, and respite needs to get a huge makeover