Alen Babic’s destructive form continued as he forced Mark Bennett to retire after the fifth round. Heavyweight Johnny Fisher also won on the Matchroom bill.
Firstly, ‘The Savage’ had to endure a couple of rocky moments in the early rounds, but his relentlessness saw him get on top after the second session.
It was all one-way traffic after that, and after enduring a torrid fifth stanza, Bennett’s corner did the right thing and pulled their man out.
Alen Babic
“I feel great,” Babic told DAZN. “Thank you for having me. It was a very, very tough fight. I didn’t expect that – I’ve got to say that.
“All kudos to him. He’s a very, very tough warrior, a legit warrior. I threw maybe 100 power punches at his head, and I have knockout punches, which was a very tough and competitive fight. I thank him for that.
“Left, right and I was like, ‘fall, it’s your time to fall,’ but he didn’t want to fall. He really caught me with a few ones. He didn’t catch me flush because I always bob and weave, but he’s a very tough man, and I respect him.
“This guy was 30kg heavier than me, and you saw what happened. He wasn’t stronger in that ring. I can do everything. I’m here to represent the little people who can’t do anything.
“I am just little like them – the smallest Heavyweight alive! You can do it if I can do it. I’m nothing special. I just put my mind to it. If you put your mind to it, there’s nothing you can’t do.”
Following his win, Babic proposed to his girlfriend, who said yes.
FISHER
In Fisher’s case, he was far too powerful for Danny Whitaker as he progressed to 3-0 in front of his father, who was watching on from ringside.
A dominant second round saw ‘The Romford Bull’ drop Whitaker twice before the fight was stopped before any more damage could be done.
“It felt fantastic, especially in front of some of my supporters here,” Fisher told Matchroom. “In the future, we’ll get a lot more in. It was great to have that little taste of what the future can hold -respect to Danny Whitaker, a great man, and a great opponent. I’m ready for the next step.
“I feel like I prepared better for this fight than any of my previous fights – especially with Mark being back. I’ve got a great assistant trainer in Steve Andrews. We’ve got a long way to go, but I’m in a good place.
“My mum and dad are here, and my brothers are here. It’s brilliant. My little sister is at home. We’re going to have a nice Chinese now and celebrate. I think it’s the confidence that you can take from knowing that you have prepared well. Lennox Lewis sent me a message before my debut, ‘the more I prepare, the less I worry, and that was a testament to the work we’ve been doing in the gym.
CALM
“I’ve definitely calmed down from the second fight. I think it’s different when you’ve got someone with a winning record in there. I’ve got a long, long way to go to calm myself down and box on the back foot, but I know I can box on the back foot because I’ve shown it before in sparring. Doing it in the ring is another thing, and that’s why we have a process.
“I’m only 22-years-old, and I’ve got to build. You’ve got to stay humble, and you’ve got to stay ready.
“We all know in our area about Mark Tibbs and his dad and how great they are. It’s not just that he’s my boxing trainer, we’re good friends, and we get on really well. He said to me once that it’s like we’ve known each other forever, and it is. It’s brilliant to be working with someone who is such a legend in the sport.
“Boxing is a very brutal sport, and it can end at any time for anyone, especially at Heavyweight. You’ve got to have respect for all of your opponents. You’ve got to be ready for anything, and the best way to be is, to be honest.”
