Johnny Fisher survives early scare before stopping Ivan Balaz in Monte Carlo
Johnny Fisher appeared hurt in opening minutes but he floored Ivan Balaz three times in fourth round to seal stoppage; Pat McCormack's unbeaten record was shattered by a 12th round knockout loss to Conah Walker; Beatriz Ferreira stopped in fifth round by Elif Nur Turhan in IBF title fight
Sunday 7 December 2025 07:21, UK
Johnny Fisher survived an early scare before he sealed a stoppage win over Ivan Balaz in Monte Carlo.
The British contender appeared badly hurt as a flurry of hooks sent him to the canvas, but a knockdown was bizarrely not signalled by the referee and Fisher then dropped Balaz three times before the referee waved it off in the fourth round.
Fisher was aiming to revive his career after a stoppage loss in a rematch with David Allen, but the 'Romford Bull' looked in danger of another dramatic defeat in the closing seconds of the opener.
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A crunching right hook from his Slovakian opponent left Fisher on unsteady legs and Balaz followed up with three more hooks as the Brit stumbled down by the ropes.
Fisher surprisingly was not issued with a count, but his defensive frailties left him at risk until he brought the fight to a sudden finish in the fourth.
A hurtful left hook sent Balaz to the canvas, then a straight right sent him down again, and Fisher unloaded another big right that forced him back to the floor and the referee signalled the end of the bout.
On the same bill, Conah Walker produced a stunning knockout win over Pat McCormack in the 12th round of their welterweight fight.
Walker unloaded a ferocious combination that sent McCormack tumbling through the ropes and the referee waved it off as the Liverpudlian sagged forward on to the strands.
There was another major upset later in the evening as Brazilian Beatriz Ferreira was floored in the first round and stopped in the fifth by Turkey's Elif Nur Turhan, who claimed the IBF lightweight title with a sensational win.
