Johnny Fisher said he trained for a gruelling 10-round contest against a dangerous, if undersized, heavyweight in Alen Babic.
It didn’t last a minute. The official time was 36 seconds as the Romford Bull rose to his biggest occasion yet, overshadowing an arduous evening without so much as a knockdown in the seven fights prior in the undercard.
Fisher landed a blistering five-punch sequence flooring Babic, who beat the count but looked hazy and was in no condition to continue after finding himself a standing target against a young heavyweight improving all the time.
“One of the most special nights of my career and life tonight, prepared like I never have before. This just shows what level I can get to, I’ll keep going and dealt with it [training camp] better than I have before. I’ve sparred Filip Hrgovic and really matured over the last six months, I can go as far as I want.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn went one further, saying he’d fancy his man against anyone on the domestic scene in Britain while confirming plans will see him feature on the undercard of newly-crowned IBF junior-welterweight champion Liam Paro in Australia later this year.
“This ain’t a gimmick, you’re looking at a world-class heavyweight prospect and talking about a guy with two amateur fights! I’d back him against anyone at British title level and after Frazer Clarke vs. Fabio Wardley, I called him to say he’d beat them both. Get excited, because he’s the real deal.”
Mark Tibbs, Fisher’s trainer, was notably unimpressed by the opposition shortlist for Fisher’s first headline show and name-checked the 33-year-old, having seen him up close and personal while he fiercely sparred former charge Dillian Whyte a few years ago.
As for what’s next, who knows? The Southern Area champion has been linked with a step-up in levels domestically, knowing the likes of David Adeleye and English titleholder Solomon Dacres are potential future opponents.
Hearn said as much prior, suggesting a showdown with Wardley or Clarke for British honours would sell out The O2.
Having asked the latter for his opinion on the domestic scene in May, he was unequivocal: Fisher is more than just a ticketseller.
“The rate he’s improving at, physicality and mentality, I see him going everywhere to spar everyone… different experiences are invaluable and that’s a skill itself. He’ll be a lot better fighter now than a few fights ago, I put him among the top in Britain and mean that.”
If middleweight Hamzah Sheeraz’s one-round blowout here five months ago against Liam Williams is anything to go by, this brief but brutal display goes some way to supporting that belief.
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