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 twice before the referee waved it off in the fourth round.

Fisher was aiming to revive his career after a rematch defeat by British rival David Allen, but the ‘Romford Bull’ looked in danger of another dramatic loss in the closing seconds of the opener.

A crunching hook from his Slovakian opponent left Fisher on unsteady legs and Balaz followed up with a flurry and a shove that sent the Brit 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 right hand sent Balaz down to his knees and when he rose again, 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 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.