ONCE UPON A TIME Nick Ball ran 16 miles from a building site back to his house after having an argument with his father.
He had been working as a plasterer in his late teens for a while alongside his dad but there came a day on the job after an argument between the two where Ball thought to himself, “What am I doing here?” Ball put his trowel down and told his dad he had had enough of the job.
Ball informed him he was going home and left the site. Running the 16-mile distance home sounds foolish but once he got going there was a determination running through him and a point to prove to both his mother and father at the same time.
“I got to my house and I was locked out. And then my mum and dad got home from work and they did realise why I’d done it.”
Their son wanted nothing more to do with tools, he wanted to box and make something of himself.
The 27-year-old has pondered what life would have been like if he had stayed where he was and hadn’t ran over a half marathon to his house.
“I’ve been fully focused since that day, really, since I made that move. I always knew what I wanted to be and I knew even before that day. When I was six my dad took me down to his mate’s gym. I’ve always been involved in fighting and then it was that moment (on the site) I thought, I shouldn’t be doing this. I’m destined to be fighting and that’s what I should be doing. I always knew my ability and what I could become.
“I’ve been focused but there’s been times where I’ve actually thought about what if I never left work that day. Imagine I stayed plastering. I’m glad I made the right move.”
Nearly 10 years later Ball speaks to Boxing News as the WBA Featherweight world champion which he won on June 1 by split decision against Raymond Ford. A night that belonged to Ball and his Queensberry team-mates who routed their Matchroom counterparts 10-0 during the inaugural 5 vs. 5 event in Riyadh.
Ball, Brad Strand and Andrew Cain – three products of the flourishing Everton Red Triangle gym in Liverpool – all joined Frank Warren’s stable in February 2020. Strand suffered his first career defeat to Dennis McCann during their British and Commonwealth super-bantamweight bout in March. Cain, meanwhile, did a destructive job on Ashley Lane in five rounds to become the British and Commonwealth bantamweight champion on July 20.
“It’s flying,” Ball says of his gym.
“What we’re doing in the gym, day in, day out, with Paul Stevenson… working hard every day in the gym and it’s paying off on fight night. So it’s good to see it all unfolding.”
What unfolded for Ball in his first world title challenge in March was tough to swallow. A split draw against WBC Featherweight champion Rey Vargas left many dumbfounded including Ball and his team. Watching on TV it certainly looked as though Ball had done enough to win by a few rounds but the three judges couldn’t separate the two fighters.
Failure to leave Riyadh and return to Liverpool with the green and gold belt left Ball gutted but he isn’t one to feel sorry for himself or go on and on about a result that didn’t go his way.
“You can’t let it get to you or try and complain about it,” he says.
“Definitely not the time to do that, but obviously it is sickening what happened. You work your whole life to become world champion and then they bob you off it like that. But to be honest, it only brings you back stronger and makes you stronger and makes you a better person and a better man.
“You learn little things about yourself in moments like that, how you handle them and how you go forward and how you deal with them. I always knew another chance would come.”
Ball fought like a man with a point to prove when the time came to take on American Raymond Ford. The pocket rocket was in the champion’s face throughout and never let him have a moment’s rest. Ford was made to fight Ball’s fight which helped the challenger enormously. And while Ford appeared to have more momentum in the final couple of rounds it did not matter to Ball who would not be denied and won by split decision at the end.
“You’ve got to give it 100% every single time with my style,” Ball says.
“It’s all action, go forward, and that’s what I do. I put the pressure on from round one and I won’t stop until the job is done. That’s what people want to see at the end of the day. They want to see an all action fight and get their money’s worth when they’re buying these tickets. I’m guaranteed to do that every single time.”
News of Ball’s next fight is still to come. The champion hopes for a homecoming in Liverpool where he hasn’t fought since February 2020 when opponent Ivan Godor retired in the first round of a scheduled six rounder at Grand Central Hall.
Returning to fight on Merseyside at somewhere like the Echo Arena would be welcome but there is a far bigger venue on his mind. Anfield, the iconic home of Liverpool Football Club who Ball has supported since he was a child.
“My dad grew up around football,” he says. “He used to play and he’s a massive fan of Liverpool and so is my brother.”
“As a world champion, fighting at Anfield, in my home city, that’d be something special with everyone behind me.”
Winning the WBA 126lbs title isn’t enough for Ball. The Scouser is targeting more belts, unifications, becoming undisputed, moving up in weight and fighting the biggest names around his weight. And it wouldn’t come bigger than taking on the mighty Naoya Inoue who has become undisputed world champion at bantamweight and super-bantamweight.
Ball’s current weight class is only four pounds higher and should Inoue come through his next challenger TJ Doheny as expected then the thought of winning another world title and targeting a third undisputed crown would certainly appeal to the ‘Monster’.
“That’s a massive fight,” Ball says.
“They’re the fights I’m interested in to be honest because when you speak about boxing, his name gets mentioned. They’re the fighters I want to fight and prove I’m the best. I want my name mentioned with them which I feel like it is. I’m world champion now. If he moves up, I’ll be waiting for him and ready for him.”
