Boxing
What Nick Ball absorbed in the match against Figueroa and what will be the further costs
Published
3 months agoon
It became clear early on how much Brandon Figueroa controlled the game in midfield. Despite being 5-foot-10, Figueroa was the more effective close-quarters player against the 5-foot-2 Ball, leaning on him, striking with volume and forcing turnovers that Ball couldn’t leisurely down or reset. The height difference gave Ball no room to work. This allowed Figueroa to crowd him and apply pressure in areas where Ball usually does best.
Cumulative penalty
As the rounds passed, the pattern continued to take its toll. Figueroa’s high-performance style became constant attrition, much like the approach he used against Joet Gonzalez when he landed over 1,000 punches. He didn’t need that level of volume here. He threw and landed enough to continually wear Ball down in subsequent rounds, making the finish feel like the end point of the process rather than an emergency.
The severity of the punishment became inevitable in the final sequence. After the first knockdown, Ball fell face first to the canvas and remained there for several moments, still enough to cause immediate concern. When the action resumed, there was no way to regain control
Figueroa stepped in and attacked the badly injured Ball, who offered no counterattacks and little defense, before taking him down again, partially through the ropes. What stood out was not the violence of the sequence, but the lack of resistance. The instincts that always led Ball to exchange words were no longer perceptible.
The hitting statistics confirm why this problem exists. Ball landed 249 of 567 punches for a 43.9% success rate, showing he remained precise and committed. Figueroa landed 214 of 757 punches, good for just 28.3% accuracy, but the volume continued unabated. He was willing to absorb shots to keep shooting, trusting the pressure and repetition to wear down Ball over time. Over the course of twelve rounds, this approach took its toll.
Ball lost the WBA featherweight title in the 12th round at the M&S Bank Arena, after which Figueroa’s trainer Manny Robles criticized the officiating, saying the referee “counted to 100” and called it a terrible job. The frustration sounded less like a tactical complaint and more like disbelief at how many penalties had been handed out before the fight was stopped.
This reaction highlights a larger problem. Fighters can recover from knockouts. It’s harder to recover from such long-lasting, close-range punishment that robs you of reaction, resistance, and agency before the end comes. Ball’s success has always been about pressure, persistence and tenacity.
After a night like that, the question isn’t whether he can win another fight, but whether those traits can still function in the same way, or whether the cost of taking so much damage has permanently changed the fighter he can be.
Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most essential fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.
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Boxing
World champion claims Conor Benn pulled out of fight after ‘setting up the whole deal’
Published
2 hours agoon
April 25, 2026
Conor Benn could be ready for a world title fight against Ryan Garcia, but there is one reigning world champion who claims the Briton recently pulled out of a title shot even though “the whole deal has already been done.”
Benn made his Zuffa Boxing debut earlier this month. defeating Regis Prograis in a 150-pound catchweight bout – his first fight at sub-154 pounds in four years – and now he looks ready to fight for world titles at welterweight.
Although his position as mandatory challenger for the WBC title put him in line to face Garcia, WBA 147-pound champion Rolando Romero claimed that Benn had withdrawn from the title fight.
I’m talking to Fighting Hub TV“Rolly” explained why he doubted the Garcia fight would happen and revealed that he expected to fight Benn until “The Destroyer” changed his mind.
“Conor Benn waived me, we had the whole deal done, we were supposed to fight on May 30 in Fresh York for my world title, and then he just disappeared out of nowhere.
Conor Benn was there begging to fight me. By the way, we already had everything planned, but he’s in Fresh York trying to create all this fuss and stuff – he did it for advantage. Same with this, he can do this with Ryan too to gain strength.
“They’re out there trying to do all this stuff, I don’t do this imitation beef. That throws me off, you go and do all this imitation beef and then you come here and act like a gigantic, tough guy and then you run away and don’t fight.”
“Maybe he was doing it with Ryan because Ryan would have knocked him out cool.”
Garcia and Benn could collide this summer in Las Vegas when Benn returns to the welterweight division in a direct world title fight.
Boxing
Jermell Charlo picks Tim Tszyu to defeat Errol Spence Jr
Published
4 hours agoon
April 25, 2026
Charlo then launched into a longer explanation, questioning what version of Spence would emerge after his years outside the ring and claiming that style favored Tszyu.
“He has little defense. Errol will come in softly. He doesn’t really move his head. Tim moves his head. He throws a few stone hay shots. “I just follow my fighting style and be realistic.”
Jermell looked like a war veteran and described the fight, giving reasons why he chose Tszyu to beat Spence.
For years, these two towers were the “Twin Towers” of Derrick James’ gym in Dallas. They shared celebrations, sweat and secrets. The problem is that Errol was very vocal about these sessions, essentially telling the world that he was “teaching” Jermell.
For a guy like Charlo, who carries enormous pride and has built his “Lions Only” brand on being the alpha, having a former teammate claim dominance over him is a stain he can’t wash off in a sanctioned fight.
Having never fought professionally, these gym stories are the only narrative that exists and you have to wonder if it’s still eating at him.
Charlo also indicated the location, with the fight expected to take place in Australia.
“He’s going to Australia there. I see Tim Tszyu winning that fight,” Jermell said.
X is having a field day because Charlo looks like a man who sat in a dim room and watched Spence’s training videos over and over again. Fans call this the “villain arc” energy. He spoke quickly, louder and louder, and seemed personally interested in the answer.
During the prophecy, Jermell had a diabolical look in his eyes, as if he were performing a technical exorcism on his elderly rival.
When he has such wide eyes and high energy intensity, he tends to rely on his “Only Lions” personality, which thrives on perceived disrespect. In this case, the disrespect is the years in which Errol Spence Jr. he claimed to be the “substantial brother” at the gym.
“I don’t have to fight Errol Spence and I don’t care about fighting Errol Spence,” Jermell said.
Jermell is essentially using Tim Tszyu as a proxy. Since Charlo hasn’t fought at 154 pounds since 2022, he needs Spence to lose to someone else to prove that the elderly era (the Derrick James era) is over. If Tszyu destroys Spence, it will validate Charlo’s technical criticism and make his inactivity look like a calculated move rather than a decline.
Chris Williams is a senior writer for Boxing News 24covering sports since 2013 and reporting on major events around the world. His relationships range from established champions to hungry prospects vying for recognition. Over the years, Chris has worked with many of boxing’s top brass, earning respect for his insightful analysis and insider perspective.
Boxing
Roy Jones Jr sums up Tyson Fury’s chances of beating top-ranked Lennox Lewis
Published
6 hours agoon
April 25, 2026
Britain has produced some great heavyweights in recent years, ending an almost century-long curse and seeing success in the division ever since. Predicting the outcome of the clash between two of the best fighters in the country, Lennox Lewis and Tyson Fury, Roy Jones Jr said it would be a “great fight”.
Bob Fitzsimmons became the first British world heavyweight champion in 1897, and he and Jones remain the only two fighters in boxing history to have won both middleweight and heavyweight world titles.
However, Great Britain struggled for success in the division after the Fitzsimmons fight, unable to claim heavyweight supremacy until Lennox Lewis became WBC world champion in 1992. Britain has since crowned its title 11th world heavyweight championFabio Wardley, who follows in the footsteps of Fury and Anthony Joshua.
In an interview with Grosvenor CasinoJones said he would give Lewis an advantage over the “Gypsy King” if they met in their prime.
“Tyson Fury vs. Lennox Lewis? That would be a great fight, but my first thought was Lennox Lewis because of his power. But my second thought was also that Tyson Fury was great at making adjustments. I would go with Lennox Lewis.”
At least one heavyweight world title is expected to remain in a Briton’s hands for some time, with Daniel Dubois scheduled to face another Briton, Fabio Wardley, for the WBO belt next month.
In the meantime, we hope 21-year-old Moses Itauma can continue Britain’s success for many years to come, with the youngster considered by many to be the hottest prospect in boxing.
As for Fury, he is focused on the UK-wide megafight with Joshua – their own ‘Battle of Britain’ after Lennox fought Frank Bruno in 1993.
World champion claims Conor Benn pulled out of fight after ‘setting up the whole deal’
Jermell Charlo picks Tim Tszyu to defeat Errol Spence Jr
Roy Jones Jr sums up Tyson Fury’s chances of beating top-ranked Lennox Lewis
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