Nick Ball lived up to his nickname to score two knockdowns, but it wasn’t enough to earn him a world title at ‘Knockout Chaos’
The 5ft 2ins Liverpudlian, who has been dubbed ‘Mini Mike Tyson’ during his rise through the ranks, thought he’d done enough to beat WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas in Saudi Arabia on Friday night.
Ultimately, Ball walked away from the fight empty-handed after the ringside judges scored the bout a split draw – a result that was booed by those inside the Kingdom Arena.
Massimo Barrovecchio 114-112 scored the fight 114-112 for Vargas, while Jun Bae Lim had 116-110 for Ball and Rey Danseco’s 113-113 card meant the bout ended in a draw and Vargas retained his belt.
Ball and his promoter, Frank Warren, vented their frustrations with the decision during their post-fight interview, as fans took to social media to disagree with the judges.
One person tweeted: “He won.”
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Another commented: “Robbed.”
A third person fumed: “100% robbed. Ball dominated that fight like a machine.”
Someone else said: “Check the judges’ bank balance Ball won that!!”
Vargas used his eight-inch height advantage well in the opening three minutes as he kept Ball at bay with jabs and a series of eye-catching shots to the body.
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Ball began to close the distance in the second stanza, and the 5ft 2in fighter enjoyed much more success as DAZN commentator Todd Grisham compared him to Tyson.
Grisham’s co-commentator Barry Jones had Ball losing every round through five, and the 27-year-old fought like he knew he had work to do in the sixth stanza.
Ball aggressively went at his opponent, who threw himself to the floor every time the pair got into a clinch position that would favour the smaller man.
Vargas finally got his chin checked in round seven and he was forced to hold on after being badly wobbled by a series of strikes – but he managed to survive the three-minute frame.
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It was a much quieter eighth round, but it burst into life in the final moments as Ball dropped the champion, who was off balance and claiming it was a push before the referee called it a legitimate knockdown.
Ball continued to boss the fight in rounds nine and ten. Vargas stayed on the back foot and tried to fend off his onrushing opponent, who showed no signs of slowing down.
Another knockdown for Ball in round 11, and Vargas could have no complaints about it, although that didn’t stop him from venting his frustration to the referee.
The fight ended with Ball chasing after Vargas but he was unable to find the finish and ultimately didn’t do enough to convince two ringside officials he was a worthy winner.
Both men expressed their interest in a rematch, so Ball shouldn’t have to wait long for another crack at Vargas and his world title.
