WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball (21-0-1, 12 KOs) has a tough mandatory challenger, Stephen Fulton, next up for him after his grueling tenth round knockout victory against Ronny Rios (34-5, 17 KOs) on Saturday night ) at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.
Former WBC and WBO super bantamweight champion Fulton’s boxing skills will be a big problem for the 5’2″ ball if that fight happens next, as he has the kind of ability the 27-year-old hasn’t seen before.
It was Ball’s first defense of his new WBA 126lb title, but he may have to face his mandatory Fulton (22-1 8 KOs) next if the World Boxing Association orders the bout. Ball said tonight that he wants a unification fight next against one of the champions at 126, but we’ll see if the WBA will allow it.
Fulton lost to Naoya Inoue by knockout in the eighth round in Tokyo, Japan last July. It was too much firepower for Fulton at the time, and he fought too cautiously against the Japanese star in front of his fans at the Ariake Arena. Against Ball, Fulton would be able to handle a much easier style because he is not a sharpshooter with Inoue’s speed and power.
#1 WBA Fulton looked spectacular last month, defeating Carlos Castro with a show-stealing 10-round split decision victory on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga on September 14 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
If the WBA allows Ball to swing Fulton out to fight one of the other featherweight champions, a fight against WBO champion Rafael Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) would be the logical one to make next.
“I’m always looking to take them out no matter what. If I feel the pace, then they’re going to feel the pace ten times worse. Keep going until the bell rings, until the fight is over,” Nick Ball said Box Social.
“In boxing it comes down to who wants it the most. When you’re there, it’s just you and him. It’s who wants it the most.”
Last updated on 10/05/2024
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