World champion Ball punishes Rios in homecoming win

A bloodied Nick Ball defended his WBA featherweight world title in his home city with a punishing 10th round stoppage win over Ronny Rios at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena.

The 27-year-old bullied the American challenger, throwing powerful combinations and dropping Rios in the third and seventh.

Ball had to contend with blood pouring from his nose from early in the fight but a flurry of punches caused Rios, 34, to fall out of the ring before the towel was thrown in.

“My nose always goes, it’s boxing, you’re going to get a little nosebleed, it’s what makes champions,” Ball said.

Just a stone’s throw from his home, Kirkby-born Ball won his third fight of 2024 and affirmed his status as one of the best featherweights in the world.

“To be honest I think it was all because of how good the crowd was, I thought I had him gone and I was wrong. Switched off, left myself open,” said Ball, whose past two fights took place in Saudi Arabia.

“That’s what we train for stuff like that, take them out. Hats off to him, he caught me with a few on my nose.”

‘Wrecking Ball’ bullies Rios into submission

The arena was at limited capacity with most of the top tier closed off, but those in attendance gave ‘Wrecking Ball’ a rapturous hero’s welcome on his ring walk.

Ball made his debut in a Liverpool night club in 2017 but had not fought in the city for more than four years. He darted to the ring rather than allowing himself time to savour the moment.

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

He outmuscled Rios, with the challenger covering up as left and right hooks landed on the temple and snappy uppercuts snuck through the high guard.

The Californian was standing up to the attack and drew blood from Ball’s nose in the second, but the intensity and power punches from the home fighter continued as he dropped Rios with a short left hook in the third.

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

He edged back into the contest with a right hook in the fifth as Ball – hampered by his nose, with his torso and shorts reddened – showed signs of slowing down.

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

A round later, however, there were no complaints after another Ball onslaught. Rios rose to his feet and with the referee considering whether the fight should continue, the towel was thrown.

What next for Ball?

Liverpool boasts a rich history of producing boxing champions – such as John Conteh, Tony Bellew and Natasha Jonas – and Ball is now flying the city’s flag on the world stage.

After a controversial draw with WBC champion Rey Vargas in March, he impressed in a points win over Raymond Ford in May to become world champion and flourished in his homecoming.

Ball is now targeting unification bouts. Rafael Espinoza holds the WBO title and Angelo Leo is the IBF champion, but there is still unfinished business with WBC holder Vargas.

“I’d like the Vargas fight, get the green and gold [WBC] belt,” he said.

Former world champion Stephen Fulton has been named as Ball’s mandatory challenger after his move up in weight, while Ball also harbours dreams of facing Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue.

A win over Inoue – nicknamed ‘The Monster’ for his 25 knockouts in 28 wins – would be difficult, but it would propel Ball towards the top of the pound-for-pound list, as well as global stardom.

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