Ultra-exciting British featherweight Nick Ball wants the featherweight world. The unbeaten, 5’2” dynamo from Liverpool who has impressed and thrilled each fan who has seen him fight due to his all-action, throw a ton of punches style, will get his first shot at a world title next week. Ball, 19-0(11) will challenge Rey Vargas of Mexico for the WBC 126 pound title, this on the massive Joshua-Ngannou card in Saudi Arabia.
But Ball is already looking ahead to big featherweight unification showdowns. Ball, who says he is fully focused on Vargas, 36-1(22) – “I’ve been working my whole life for it….so I’m not going to let it slip,” Ball said to Sky Sports – says a win over Vargas will “open doors.”
It doesn’t look like being an easy fight for Ball, or for Vargas, not at all. In fact, the featherweight battle could turn out to be the fight of the night next Friday. But Ball believes it’s his time, and he is confident he will beat Vargas.
“He’s in my way,” 26-year-old Ball said of the tall-for-the-weight Vargas. “I’ve wanted a world title shot my whole life, and I’ve got it. So the chance is now. It doesn’t matter who’s in there with me. I’ll take it from them. I’ve been working my whole life for it and now I’ve got the chance, on a massive platform. It means everything to me. It’ll be an explosive performance. I know I’ve got a lot more in me to show. This opponent and this style, will bring out the best of me. Once I win that (WBC belt) the doors open, anything can happen.”
Ball, who said he will fight “anyone,” has an eye on possible unification fights, one with current IBF featherweight champ Luis Alberto Lopez in particular. Lopez is in action tonight against Reiya Abe, while Ray Ford and Otabek Kholmatov will fight with the WBA belt on the line. Ball will no doubt be tuning in to watch both fights.
“I like his style, he comes forward and throws hard punches so he’s exciting, no matter what fight he’s going to be in, which I like because you’ve got to give people their money’s worth,” Ball said of Lopez, who defeated Belfast’s Michael Conlan recently. “He’s the type of fighter that will do that, like myself. But any of these world champions and anyone at my weight, get me in with them….I will fight anyone.”
Next up is 33-year-old Vargas, a tough Mexican (aren’t they all?) who has never been beaten at 126 pounds and is also a former champion at 122 pounds. This is by far the toughest fight yet in the career of Ball. Can he rise to the occasion? Ball says absolutely. We fans could get a great fight next Friday. And if Ball does win, make sure you get strapped in for a number of further excitement-filled shoot-outs as Ball tries his best to do as he says, and that’s fight “anyone.”
The lower weight classes could have a genuine star of the future in Nick Ball.