Nick Ball was in good spirits at today’s final press conference ahead of his first defense of the WBA featherweight title against Ronny Rios.

Ball will face Rios next Saturday at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool in front of a wild crowd. Ball will return to boxing in his hometown for the first time since 2020, and has spent his last two fights in Saudi Arabia – his first was a controversial draw with WBC champion Rey Vargas, followed by a victory over Raymond Ford to win the world title.

Ball is thrilled to have the opportunity to fight in front of his beloved Liverpool crowd and will share the stage with four of his stablemates from Everton’s buzzing Red Triangle gym.

“This event is huge, isn’t it, that it’s in Liverpool, my hometown,” Ball told BoxingScene. “Everyone supports me, they will come out to support me, and in previous fights they were not able to come. So this one they can, so I have to put on a show for them.

“The gym is flying, we are all flying in the gym together and we are going to put on a show for everyone who comes. It will be a special evening.”

Ball has become one of British boxing’s biggest talents in recent years, and his promoter, Frank Warren, has plans for him to become one of British boxing’s top stars. Such plans could go up in smoke if Ball lost to Rios on Saturday night.

Rios, now 34, is a veteran and will be making his third attempt at a world title. At today’s press conference, Rios was vocal about how his experience would be the key to victory. But Ball isn’t worried about that.

“Every opponent is perilous,” Ball said. “Boxing is boxing and when you go in there it’s perilous, you know. We all know this is what we signed up for, but I don’t focus too much on how perilous it could be. I’m the one worried about that, not him.

Ball and many boxing fans believe he should defend his two world titles on Saturday night after being awarded only a draw by the WBC against Vargas in his title fight. The current WBA champion has plans to win the celebrated green belt he was denied, as well as his remaining titles, if he defeats Rios on Saturday.

“I want the one who has the belts,” he said. “Yes, take it [WBC] belt, they will become united and undisputed, so yes, first place. Of course, I’m the world champion now, there are three more belts, I have to get them.”

Coach Calvin Ford looked stressed today as he answered questions about why his fighter, Gervonta “Tank” Davis, chose Lamont Roach as his next opponent on December 14 instead of one of the talented lightweights fans want to see fight Baltimore.

Ford’s response to the question of why Tank is fighting Roach is pretty slender, saying, “It’s good for the community.” The boxing public doesn’t think this is a good thing and they are the ones buying Tank’s $75.95 PPV fights. This is not good for them.

Roach (25-1-1, 10 KO), a super featherweight who will move up to face Gervonta (30-0, 28 KO) for the WBA lightweight title in Houston, has never defeated an A fighter in his 10-year career. -summer career.

Roach, 29, lost Jamel Śledź in 2019 and most recently had wins over Feargal McCrory, Hector Luis Garcia and Angel Rodriguez. These are not the best of the best. Losing to Herring will tell you everything you need to know about Roach’s qualifications to fight Tank.

Why Tank Fighting Roach

1. They have known each other since they were amateurs
2. Roach agreed to the fight
3. It’s a “Great Fight”
4. Good for “community”
5. This is the “before” Tank fight

“They have known each other since their amateur days, since the Silver Gloves and so on. They grew up together,” coach Calvin Ford said Fightsaying that Gervonta Davis knew Lamont Roach Jr. well. from the past.

Fans don’t care that Tank Davis knew Roach when he returned to the block. They want Tank to face the best at 135 pounds like William Zepeda, Raymond Muratalla, Andy Cruz, Abdullah Mason and Keyshawn Davis.

“Roach and him were constantly fighting and stuff. It’s going to be quite an compelling fight because Roach is coming to fight. I think it’s a great fight. Everyone says things like, “Oh, why Roach?” Because he put up a fight and it’s good for the community,” Ford said.

It doesn’t say what community it’s good for. Is it the Baltimore and Washington community? There are more fans across the country than in this petite part of the US. Tank should think about them for a change and stop avoiding the risks associated with talented players at 135 years ancient.

This is the third time that Tank Davis has chosen a super featherweight to defend his WBA lightweight belt. He has already fought 130-pounders Hector Luis Garcia and Leo Santa Cruz.

“People will do it. That’s what fans do. They criticize badly,” Ford said, criticizing fighters when they fight tender opponents, especially when they do it repeatedly during their career, as Tank Davis did.

“I remember everyone saying I should let Pitbull fight Tank again. They talked about that and then about when he won the belt [WBA light welterweight]boom. I’m not getting involved in this. I’m just getting him ready and ready for a great performance for the fans and stuff like that.

“Like I said, we’re just focused on the fight that’s in front of us and that’s the fight that’s in front of us,” Ford said of Roach, who will be Gervonta’s next title defense on Dec. 14.

This response from Ford isn’t good enough, saying, “We’re just focusing on the fight that’s in front of us.” This is not the answer. I think we need it Grand Inquisitor here to put Ford on his feet and get some real answers as to why Tank Davis is fighting Roach. This goes much deeper than what he says. There is some fear behind Tank’s choices because it is simple money that allows him to avoid risk.

Terence Crawford appears to be definitely aiming to beat Canelo Alvarez, but the elite pound-for-pound fighter and undefeated four-division champion can’t deny that he’s a target, too.

Last week, WBA junior middleweight champion Crawford (41-0, 31 KO) was summoned by former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor to take part in the dual boxing-MMA series, via social media wunderkind Ryan Garcia during the mandatory fight Crawford earned in fight against WBO/WBC 154-pound champion Sebastian Fundora, emerges.

Both McGregor and Crawford have expressed interest from Saudi Arabian boxing broker Turki Alalshikh in organizing a two-fight MMA boxing series between the pair.

McGregor said in a video blog in which Crawford told him: “I don’t feel like taking a kick.”

Crawford replied: “I’m not going into any octagon, so you can start kicking and elbowing me. We would make a lot of money, but (McGregor) isn’t going to kick me.”

McGregor took part in the second most lucrative pay-per-view fight of all time in 2017 when he was stopped in the 10th round by Floyd Mayweather Jr.

McGregor, 36, has not fought in the UFC since suffering a second straight loss to Dustin Poirier in 2021, and the push for him to fight Michael Chandler was marred by injuries and drug testing requirements.

He previously tried to box with recent International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Manny Pacquiao.

“Conor McGregor is basically a combat sports prostitute – you can kick his ass whenever you want and he’ll let you kick his ass. He’s committed to it,” former welterweight boxing champion and McGregor’s former sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi said on Thursday’s edition of ProBox TV’s “Top Stories.”

“I’m starting to wonder if there’s sadism, masochism in it: he likes it as long as he gets paid.”

Mentioning Crawford’s name is a risky endeavor, former 140-pound champion Chris Algieri told Top Stories.

“Crawford is much meaner than Mayweather. With his killer instinct, he will really hurt you. And he is the No. 1 busy player on a pound-for-pound basis,” Algieri said.

Malignaggi said McGregor was demeaning his sport by rushing to get involved in such a one-sided ring scandal.

– Aren’t you ashamed, buddy? Malignaggi asked, calling McGregor’s proposal a “clown show.”

Meanwhile, Algieri described Crawford’s lack of interest in the MMA side as shrewd.

“Terence obviously got kicked… if he did one (fight) in the ring and one in the cage, as long as he did the one in the ring first… because Terence will kick (McGregor’s) ass,” Algieri said.

The request to suspend Garcia, who was sued in Up-to-date York last week by his April 20 opponent Devin Haney, is off the table, Algieri theorizes, because Crawford is clearly looking for an opponent who will inspire him to train furiously while also seeking a record sum as his career comes to an end end at the age of 37.

Meanwhile, Fundora is a fascinating foe because the fight could take place in early winter and a victory would make Crawford a three-belt junior-middleweight champion one victory shy of becoming the first three-time undisputed champion of the four-belt era.

Crawford on Monday asked for a 10-day extension of the negotiation period with Fundora, which will end around Oct. 12 around the undisputed airy heavyweight championship fight between Russian Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.

Alvarez has expressed interest in a rematch with Bivol, who defeated him by unanimous decision, in 2022. If Beterbiev wins, it’s unclear whether Alvarez will want that fight or a cash grab with the much lighter Crawford, the favorite fighter of the enriched Alalshikh.

A trip to Fundora now seems perfect for Crawford.

“It’s a winnable fight,” Malignaggi said. “You see a path to build on. Suddenly (the undisputed champion again) starts to look more realistic, and the legacy comes with a substantial reward.”

Should he defeat Fundora, Crawford would only be missing the IBF belt in the October 19 fight between former champion Tim Tszyu and recent IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev.

And unlike Canelo Alvarez, who will choose who he fights next, “Terence Crawford is at the controls” along with others.

For Crawford, the best thing for the sport will be to stay at 154 pounds, either rule the division after doing so at 140 pounds and welterweight, or allow Oct. 19 favorite Tszyu to replace Crawford because he offers the ability to carry “superstar potential” into a recent generation. “