Johnny Fisher signalled his heavyweight credentials by stopping Alen Babic in a stunning 36-second knockout at London’s Copper Box Arena. Fisher, known as The Romford Bull, barely broke a sweat, flooring the Croatian with a powerful right hook after a barrage of punches in the first round.
A stunned Babic rose to his feet but stumbled towards referee Mark Bates, who halted the contest. Fisher, 25, now boasts a perfect record of 12 professional wins, with 11 coming inside the distance. Babic, 33, suffered only his second defeat in 14 bouts.
“This is one of the most special moments of my career and my life so far,” Fisher told the enthusiastic crowd, primarily composed of his Essex supporters.
Promoter Eddie Hearn indicated that Fisher’s next target would be the British heavyweight title, with champion Fabio Wardley in attendance. “I would back [Fisher] against all the domestic heavyweights around the British title level,” Hearn said.
Fisher Frenzy in London
The event coincided with England’s Euro 2024 quarter-final win over Switzerland, screened inside the arena. Under the interval bouts, promoter Eddie Hearn, former world champion Tony Bellew, and ex-England footballer Jamie Redknapp celebrated England’s penalty shootout victory.
Fisher, who reportedly sold 4,000 tickets himself, capitalized on the feel-good energy, delivering a career-best performance. With a 24lb weight advantage, he demonstrated his superior power from the opening bell.
Fisher’s loyal fanbase, bolstered by his social media star father ‘Big’ John Fisher and their popular “bosh” catchphrase, witnessed the Essex fighter prove he’s more than just an online sensation against his toughest opponent to date.
“I was expecting a 10-round war,” Fisher said. “I’ve really matured over the last six months and I really think we can go as far as we want in this game.”