Alen Babic invoked typical Savage mode as he stopped Damian Chambers with a big left hook in the third round in Newcastle to record a seventh stoppage in seven fights as a pro. 

Wild and reckless he may be, but Babic is certainly exciting as he went after Chambers in typical fashion.  

Babic had been out for seven months with a shoulder injury and looked booked for an early win as he a big left hook forced a count in the opening minute, Chambers grabbing the top rope to stay upright. He was then nearly dropped by a body shot and, just before the end of the round, another clubbing hook fired Chambers back into the ropes and seemingly to the verge of defeat. 

Chambers didn’t fold, though, and held his own in the second round, using his jab well and forcing Babic to throw from distance. 

Babic returned to Savage mode in the third, though, landing a series of blows before bundling him to the floor. He then trapped Chambers on the ropes and unloaded, landing a huge left hook that spun Chambers around clinging to the top rope as referee Ron Kearney jumped in at 1:30 of round three. 

“I have a lot of respect for Damian Chambers, he saw my knockouts and came in at six days’ notice,” Babic said. “He is my friend from now on, he is a true warrior. He took a lot of big shots, I have the power of someone who is 130 kilos. 

“Cruiserweight, bridgerweight, heavyweight, whoever wants it can get it, I never hide. I make my statement, I want them all, three divisions.” 

Ron Lewis is a senior writer for BoxingScene. He was Boxing Correspondent for The Times, where he worked from 2001-2019 - covering four Olympic Games and numerous world title fights across the globe. He has written about boxing for a wide variety of publications worldwide since the 1980s.