By: Sean Crose
WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball retained his title Saturday night time by repeatedly dropping, then stopping, a really recreation Ronny Rios. Though the 21-0-1 Ball dominated the combat, his nostril received fairly busted up all through the bout. “My nostril all the time goes,” he mentioned afterward, “it’s boxing, you’re going to get a little bit nosebleed. It’s what makes champions.” Such a businesslike angle actually served Ball effectively as he impressed what was basically his hometown crowd on the M&S Financial institution Area in Liverpool, England. Not that Ball had a lot dangerous to say concerning the defeated challenger after the bout ended within the tenth spherical.
“That’s what we practice for,” Ball mentioned, “stuff like that, take them out. Hats off to him, he caught me with a number of on my nostril.” Positive sufficient, the 34 yr previous Rios was nothing if not recreation. After a brutal early portion of the bout, the American fired again viciously on Ball. It wasn’t sufficient, although. With solely 17 KOs in a profession spanning 39 fights, Rios simply didn’t have the firepower to carry off the aggressive defending champion. As a consequence of power, energy and a potent recreation plan, Ball was merely a degree above Rios within the ring on Saturday.
Though he isn’t generally known as an influence puncher himself, Ball was the image of sharp aggression on Saturday, ranging from the opening bell. Tossing off limitless energy pictures, it nearly appeared like Ball would gasoline himself out. He didn’t. In actual fact, he was capable of drop Rios within the third in addition to the seventh rounds. Rios received up on each events. Positive sufficient, the person was even capable of get again on his ft after Ball actually knocked him by means of the ropes within the tenth. By that time, nevertheless, Rios’ crew had seen sufficient. They stopped the bout earlier than their fighter took any extra injury.
After the match had ended, Ball indicated that there was extra to do at featherweight. “I’ve received one in every of 4 belts,” he mentioned, “and it will be good to get one other one.”
