World champion Ball punishes Rios in homecoming win

World champion Ball punishes Rios in homecoming win

Nick Ball walks away from Ronny Rios who is on the canvas

Nick Ball stays the one unbeaten male British world champion [Getty Images]

A bloodied Nick Ball defended his WBA featherweight world title in his dwelling metropolis with a punishing tenth spherical stoppage win over Ronny Rios at Liverpool’s M&S Financial institution Area.

The 27-year-old bullied the American challenger, throwing highly effective mixtures and dropping Rios within the third and seventh.

Ball needed to deal with blood pouring from his nostril from early within the battle however a flurry of punches triggered Rios, 34, to fall out of the ring earlier than the towel was thrown in.

“My nostril all the time goes, it is boxing, you are going to get just a little nosebleed, it is what makes champions,” Ball mentioned.

Only a stone’s throw from his dwelling, Kirkby-born Ball gained his third battle of 2024 and affirmed his standing as the most effective featherweights on this planet.

“To be trustworthy I feel it was all due to how good the group was, I believed I had him gone and I used to be flawed. Switched off, left myself open,” mentioned Ball, whose previous two fights happened in Saudi Arabia.

“That is what we prepare for stuff like that, take them out. Hats off to him, he caught me with a couple of on my nostril.”

‘Wrecking Ball’ bullies Rios into submission

The world was at restricted capability with a lot of the high tier closed off, however these in attendance gave ‘Wrecking Ball’ a rapturous hero’s welcome on his ring stroll.

Ball made his debut in a Liverpool night time membership in 2017 however had not fought within the metropolis for greater than 4 years. He darted to the ring relatively than permitting himself time to savour the second.

At simply 5ft 3in, what pressure-fighter Ball lacks in peak he makes up with a relenting fashion, which was clear from the off.

He outmuscled Rios, with the challenger overlaying up as left and proper hooks landed on the temple and snappy uppercuts snuck by means of the excessive guard.

The Californian was standing as much as the assault and drew blood from Ball’s nostril within the second, however the depth and energy punches from the house fighter continued as he dropped Rios with a brief left hook within the third.

A seasoned campaigner, Rios made his debut in 2008 however was competing for simply the second time in two years.

He edged again into the competition with a proper hook within the fifth as Ball – hampered by his nostril, along with his torso and shorts reddened – confirmed indicators of slowing down.

Rios complained of a knockdown within the seventh after he went down simply as Ball threw a left hook.

A spherical later, nonetheless, there have been no complaints after one other Ball onslaught. Rios rose to his toes and with the referee contemplating whether or not the battle ought to proceed, the towel was thrown.

What subsequent for Ball?

Nick Ball with a bloody nose punches Ronny RiosNick Ball with a bloody nose punches Ronny Rios

Ball struggled with a nosebleed all through the competition [Queensberry Promotions]

Liverpool boasts a wealthy historical past of manufacturing boxing champions – equivalent to John Conteh, Tony Bellew and Natasha Jonas – and Ball is now flying town’s flag on the world stage.

After a controversial draw with WBC champion Rey Vargas in March, he impressed in a factors win over Raymond Ford in Might to turn into world champion and flourished in his homecoming.

Ball is now focusing on unification bouts. Rafael Espinoza holds the WBO title and Angelo Leo is the IBF champion, however there’s nonetheless unfinished enterprise with WBC holder Vargas.

“I might just like the Vargas battle, get the inexperienced and gold [WBC] belt,” he mentioned.

Former world champion Stephen Fulton has been named as Ball’s obligatory challenger after his transfer up in weight, whereas Ball additionally harbours desires of going through Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue.

A win over Inoue – nicknamed ‘The Monster’ for his 25 knockouts in 28 wins – can be tough, however it will propel Ball in the direction of the highest of the pound-for-pound listing, in addition to international stardom.

Extra boxing from the BBC

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