Nick Ball

Bio

Nick Ball is one of the most entertaining fighters in British boxing, and if you know, you know. A little guy from Kirkby on Merseyside at around 5ft 2in, he fights like a man who has something to prove to every opponent that is bigger than him, which is all of them. He walks forward, throws from every angle and makes every round a scrap.

Let’s not beat around the bush: he has already done plenty. After the WBC Silver featherweight title in 2022 and a split draw in a world title fight in March 2024, he won the WBA featherweight title in Riyadh in June 2024 on a split decision. He then defended it three times, a proper run for a fighter with his style, before losing it in February in Liverpool, stopped in the 12th round by Brandon Figueroa.

Make no mistake, that is the only loss on his record, and he is now 23-1-1 with 13 knockouts. His response was to move up in weight, and he will challenge Anthony Cacace for the WBA super featherweight title at The O2 in Belfast on 19 December, live on DAZN. A win would make him a two-weight world champion.

The question for Ball is whether the size and reach that he gave up at featherweight will be harder to overcome at 130lbs. His engine and body work are brilliant, but a clever southpaw like Cacace will test whether he can get through the jab. I have picked Cacace, but never write this man off.