NICK Ball finally overcame resistance from WBA featherweight title challenger Ronny Rios at the Echo Arena in Liverpool. Rios’ main cornerman stepped onto the ring apron, waved a towel, and pulled his fighter out of harm’s way at 2-06 of round 10.

Ball ran out of the blocks, firing large shots with both hands. Taller and bigger, Rios tried to crouch and trade, but the difference in firepower was immediately apparent as Ronny went down on the ropes in the second round. Ball left that session with a bloody nose, so Rios must have hit on something noteworthy.

The beating continued into the third period when Rios hit the canvas following an attack by Ball. He stood up and nodded to referee Bob Williams that he was ready for more punishment. Ball responded with an attack that seemed to last the rest of the round.

Rios had the better fifth, landing left hooks to the body and peppering Ball’s gushing nostrils as the Liverpool man took a breather. Rios was trailing in round seven, but dropped the decision when Ball caught his second wind and began throwing uppercuts, switching several positions for good measure. Rios, who later dropped to 34-5 (17 KO), finally collapsed in the 10th round as he was dragged through the ropes and stretched out.

“To be straightforward, I think I got a little carried away by the audience; I took a few too many shots,” said Ball, who improved his record to 21-0-1 (12 KOs).

“He’s a tough man, he’s back and I respect him. My nose always falls off, it’s boxing and there will always be nosebleeds.

Ball holds one of the four belts, and names like Rey Vargas and Naoya Inoue were later mentioned. A reunion appears to be on the cards, as is the long-held dream of fighting at Anfield.

Match results Nick Ball vs. Ronny Rios Undercard

Earlier in the evening, Jack Rafferty had lost most of the boxing match, but won the war, forcing Henry Turner to retire after the ninth round. Southpaw Turner was boxing well until he endured a heated ninth round of abuse that ultimately saw him fall to the canvas and finish the count with blood spilling from his nose. Between rounds, with Turner’s head spinning in despair, Alan Smith alerted referee Ron Kearney that the fight had to end.

Jack Turner knocked out Gonzalo Corinaldesi in the first round of a scheduled six-round match. Cuban talent Jadier Herrera needed a few rounds to loosen up before a left hand to the body of Oliver Flores knocked the Nicaraguan off balance.

Andrew Cain crushed Lazaro Casseres in the second round. Joe Cooper started the televised part of the gala with a powerful points victory over Łukasz Barabasz. Walter Fury outpointed Dale Arrowsmith in four rounds.

Previous winners included James McGivern, Lucas Biswana, Nelson Birchall, Brad Strand and Boma Brown.

Author: Sean Crose

WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball defended his title on Saturday night by repeatedly retiring and then interrupting a very good game to Ronny Rios. Although the 21-0-1 ball dominated the fight, his nose was badly busted throughout the fight. “My nose always hurts,” he said later. “It’s boxing, you’ll get a little nosebleed. That’s what makes champions.” This businesslike approach certainly served Ball well, as he impressed the hometown fans gathered at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England. Not that Ball had much bad to say about the defeated challenger after the fight ended in the tenth round.

“That’s what we train for,” Ball said. “Things like that, eliminate them. Hats off to him, he caught me with a few on my nose. Indeed, the 34-year-old Rios was nothing if not game. After a brutal opening part of the fight, the American fired back at Ball fiercely. But that wasn’t enough. With just 17 KOs in a 39-fight career, Rios simply didn’t have the firepower to stop the aggressive defending champion. With strength, power and an excellent game plan, Ball was simply one level better than Rios on Saturday.

While not known as a massive hitter himself, Ball was the epitome of piercing aggression on Saturday, starting from the opening bell. Firing an endless amount of powerful shots, it almost seemed like Ball was getting gassed. He didn’t do it. In fact, he was able to drop Rios in both the third and seventh rounds. Rios stood up on both occasions. Indeed, the man was even able to get back on his feet after Ball literally threw him through the ropes in the tenth set. But at this point, Team Rios had seen enough. They stopped the fight before their warrior suffered further damage.

After the match, Ball indicated that there was more work to be done at featherweight. “I have one of the four belts,” he said, “and it would be nice to get another one.”