Three months after he believes he was wrongfully denied his first world title, Nick Ball won the WBA featherweight world title with a victory over Raymond Ford.
After a hard-fought and high-quality fight that saw both sides fade and fade, Ball was awarded a split decision after two judges found that Ball and one Ford awarded the same score, 115-113.
For Ball (20-0-1, 11 KO), a 27-year-old resident of Liverpool, England, winning his first world title eased his frustration and disappointment after being denied victory in March following a controversial draw with Rey Vargas for the WBC title.
“I should be a two-time champion, but I’m a champion now, so it doesn’t matter,” Ball said. “My style is action and pressure. I did it right and it paid off.”
Ford (15-1-1, 8 KO), a 25-year-old Modern Jersey native, lost the title in his first defense since stopping Otabek Kholmatov with just seven seconds remaining in the final round in March.
Ford is currently expected to move up a weight class to junior lightweight. “I thought I did enough, but it was a close fight, I should have listened to my corner more, but the best man won,” Ford said. “I will definitely get up to 130 pounds now.”
At 5-foot-2, Ball was 5 inches smaller, but that didn’t stop him from swarming the champion in the early rounds, and he landed a good right hook in the second round.
Once Ford landed his jab, he was able to keep Ball at bay, but the English fighter’s work rate was superior. Ball’s pressure was relentless in Round 4 and he threw some sweet combinations in Round 5. Ball also landed a good uppercut in the fifth, and Ford was largely outgunned for the first half of the fight.
Ford finally threatened in the seventh round when he rocked Ball with a huge left hand to the jaw, and the challenger landed another tough uppercut to the left in round eight.
Ford continued to perform well in Round 9 with his movement and accuracy, and the American’s forceful strike towards the end closed the gap. In a tumultuous final round, Ford rocked Ball with a right counterattack and then a left uppercut.
Hutchinson dominates Richards in UD victory
Willy Hutchinson put in the best performance of his career, defeating airy heavyweight Craig Richards by unanimous decision in the first fight of the show.
Hutchinson (18-1, 13 KO), 25, from Carstairs, Scotland, won on scores of 116-112, 117-111 and 119-109 after commanding much of the fight and then resisting some good slow action from Richards .
Richards (18-4-1, 11 KO), 34, who lost by unanimous decision to WBA airy heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol in 2021, couldn’t develop Hutchinson’s style of switch-hitting.
“I’m adolescent and ready to take over the world,” said Hutchinson, who won the vacant WBC Silver airy heavyweight title.
Richards, from south London, struggled to find his rhythm in the first innings and Hutchinson looked much better.
Hutchinson dictated behind his jab and changed positions fluidly, which outmaneuvered Richards.
In the third round, Hutchinson landed several good right hands, which shocked Richards as he still believed his opponent was straightforward to pin down. More right hands in the fifth round and a powerful left on the ropes in the eighth continued Hutchinson’s dominance.
Richards had brief moments of success in the seventh and eighth rounds, but had his best round in the tenth. During the stimulating exchange, Richards seemed to have the upper hand until Hutchinson landed a series of punches that sent the older fighter reeling.
With Hutchinson tired, Richards got a good combination in round 11, but Hutchinson was smarter in the final three minutes.
In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
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