HUGHIE FURY nailed a rare stoppage loss into Christian Hammer and insisted he was only at 50 per cent.
The cousin of WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson took on the respected Romanian in Newcastle and forced him to retire after five rounds with a bicep injury.
Hammer, 34, had gone the distance with brutes like Tony Yoka, Luis Ortiz and Alexander Povetkin, so an early night will look good on 27-year-old Fury’s record.
After landing dozens of jabs and a couple of pinpoint uppercuts, celebrating Fury said: “I was going through the gears and the plan.
“I had a lot more to do and he was getting sick in there.
“I was letting shots go and that was only 50 per cent of my potential.
“The stoppage was coming, he was getting hit constantly, ask Hammer how good I am. I love to fight.”
Veteran warhorse Derek Chisora was suggested as a possible next opponent for the 6ft 6in Traveller.
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And no-frills Fury said he would jump at the chance to take on the respected gatekeeper.
Eleswehere on the bill in Newcastle, Chris Eubank Jr called out ‘rat’ Billy Joe Saunders after breaking the ribs of warm-up opponent Wanik Awdijan.
The 32-year-old middleweight made his boxing comeback after tragically losing brother Sebastian in July in Newcastle.
And he enjoyed a smile in the build-up when a Newcastle fight fan dragged a microwave out onto the street for the celeb boxer to sign.
Sadly his German-Armenian opponent pulled the plug on their fight after just five one-sided rounds, claiming shattered bones.
