By stunning knockdown and stoppage in the final round of a captivating WBA world featherweight title fight in Liverpool on Saturday, the hearts of then-champion Nick Ball and his fellow Liverpudlians were broken. The deliverer, American southpaw Brandon ‘The Heartbreaker’ Figueroa.
On an excellent Queensberry Promotions card, shown live on DAZN, the featherweight (9st/126lbs) division was turned on it’s head. With it, the next potential opponent of multi-weight world champion Naoya Inoue may be clearer.
The Ball-Figueroa title fight was nip and tuck throughout, with almost the full eleven completed rounds marked by a crouched challenger advancing and putting pressure on the champion, who fired back with faster hands and slicker combinations, landing the heavier shots until the stoppage.
Tall Texan Figueroa, targeted the much shorter body of Ball with significant success, but it was only when he devastatingly shifted his attack to Ball’s head that brought the end.
At the finish (0:32 of round twelve) the judges cards showed the new champion ahead by three rounds on two cards and Ball up on the third card by five rounds. This indicated the closeness and difficulty in scoring each round. A case of what you like and who you thought was more effective.
We had Ball in a clear lead before the end, but the emphatic nature of the finish made the cards and our view immaterial. The booming straight left that connected on Ball’s jaw and, after him bravely rising albeit very unsteady, and the referee waving on to allow the action to continue, Figueroa swarmed all over him for the referee to wave it over.
The abrupt end caused frenzied celebration in the ring whilst Ball still lay prostrate and was followed by a shower of half-full plastic beer glasses upon the ring. This was combination of widespread disappointment from the passionate local support and the manner in which the new champion’s camp celebrated whilst Ball was prostrate. This was not a Minter-Hagler repeat from 1980, but still unpalatable neverless.
Thankfully Figueroa and his camp, to their credit, did not make an issue of it post-fight, understanding the high emotions of the moment.
Full admiration and respect must go to the new champion (27-2-1, 20 KOs) who won his second title at a different weight class.
Ball (23-1-1, 13 KOs), was positive and brave thoughout as he tried to make a dent in the Texan’s almost beanpole-like but ripped torso. He was found wanting on this occasion but after suffering his first loss will undoubtedly come again.
The chief support saw a wholly unexpected turnaround in round nine of the WBC world bantamweight title eliminator when hometown figher Andrew Cain (15-1-0, 13 KOs) was dropped twice and saved by the bell in round eight. He then recovered between rounds and came out to poleaxe Alejandro Jair Gonzalez (19-7-3, 11 KOs) with a left hook, and register a second knockdown before the referee waved it off on 1:22 secs of the ninth. This was a much welcomed but shocking turnaround and was met with jubilation by Cain and his team and, all the Liverpudlians in attendance.
Prospect standout of the night was undefeated Liverpool featherweight Jack Turner who registered his thirteenth knockout in fourteen fights, stopping Nicaragua’s Juan Carlos Martinez Urbina inside three rounds.
Turner’s future looks bright and further homecomings for him and Andrew Cain await. Hopefully for the latter a world title shot.
The Undisputed 