Nick Ball and Ronny Rios were both relishing the opportunity of fighting in front of a packed-out Liverpool crowd at today’s press conference for their fight on October 5.
Ball will make the first defense of his WBA featherweight title and will fight in his home city for the first time in five years. Ball seemed excited about the prospect of boxing at the M&S Bank Arena for the first time after spending his early career boxing in small venues across the city and, more recently, fighting for world titles out in Saudi Arabia.
“It feels good to be back, especially in Liverpool as a world champion – my home city,” said Ball, 20-0-1 (11 KOs). “This means everything to me, this is where I grew up, this is where I started off on the small hall shows selling tickets in nightclubs and sports centers.
“My last two fights have been out in Saudi, that was an unbelievable experience but not many people could come to that. It’s good that it’s back home in Liverpool and all those people who’ve been supporting me since day one can come – I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”
Rios, whose last outing was inside the ProBox TV Events Center in Florida, didn’t seem fazed about fighting on enemy territory: “This is an extra incentive for me because I’m in his backyard, he lives a couple of minutes from here. In my opinion, this is how a fighter should take a world title, coming to the champ’s backyard and trying to take the title. This is very exciting, and this is what we work hard for, this is what keeps me up at night – in a good way.”
In Ball’s last two contests, he has entered the ring as the challenger, first against Rey Vargas and then against Raymond Ford. Ball was seen by many as a clear winner in his first world title attempt against Vargas but was awarded a draw by the judges. Ball finally lifted world honors at the second attempt, dethroning Ford out in Saudi Arabia.
“My last two fights have been with proper world champions,” said Ball. “We all know what happened in the first one, everyone knows who should have won that one. That was a bad decision, but you move on, and Frank got me another opportunity for another world title. I got that one and I’m here today fighting in Liverpool as a defending world champion – there’s no better place.”
Rios, now 34, has failed in his two previous world title attempts against Vargas and Murodjon Akhmadaliev, but is hoping to achieve his career ambition against Ball.
“This is everything to me,” said Rios, 34-4 (17 KOs). “I’ve wanted to be a world champion since I was 13, and 21 years later the opportunity is here yet again.”
Ball responded: “Everyone has dreams of becoming a world champion and this is his chance. He’s coming over to try and take what I’ve worked so hard for my whole career. He wants to take it away from me and I’m going to show him that’s not the case. He’s definitely not coming the way I’m coming, so it’s going to be exciting.”
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