NICK BALL IS taking the featherweight division by storm and the world is starting to notice the fearless stocky puncher with a toothpaste smile.
The wrecking ball from Liverpool believed it was high time the whole boxing public got to know what he is all about because, in his own opinion, he is in a league of his own when it comes to the nine-stoners.
He was true to his words at Wembley Stadium in April 2022 when he took top billing in a thrilling clash with the far more experienced Isaac Lowe and won the WBC Silver title.
It was a breakout performance delivered in a brutal fashion, with Lowe rocked from the second round onwards before the fight was stopped in the sixth.
The watching world now knows who Nick Ball is and he intends to keep it that way.
The 25-year-old – trained by Paul Stevenson in the Everton Red Triangle gym – hadn’t previously been propelled fully into the spotlight, but he insisted the time was right on the biggest stage of all to showcase his combination of skills and destructive brutality.
“I am letting every featherweight on the planet know that I am coming for them,” said a determined Ball. “I am ready to make statements and it has been a long time coming. I can’t wait to get back in there and I am feeling good.
“Anyone can get it. I don’t have to mention any names, just line them up and I’ll knock them down. That is my message.”
In July last year, Ball made a first defence of his WBC belt against the tall and dangerous Namibian Nathanael Kakololo.
At a huge height disadvantage, Ball set about his opponent from start to finish and finally got a deserved stoppage in the final round.
Then in November Ball reinforced his brutal message with a quickfire stoppage of the supposedly dangerous Mexican Jesus Ramirez Rubio in London, taking less than two minutes to demolish an opponent with 21 wins to his name.
The following year in November 2023 following a previous stoppage victories that year Ball would face former world champion Isaac Dogboe in a contest to become the mandatory challenger for the WBC Featherweight title. Ball would dominate the former champion over 12 rounds scoring a knockdown in the third to win by unanimous decision and become mandatory challenger.
Ball would challenge WBC champion Rey Vargas in Saudi Arabia, despite knocking down the champion twice the judges would controversially score the fight a draw.