Nick Ball will make a first defence of his WBA world featherweight title in front of a home Liverpool crowd on Saturday night.
It’s a homecoming contest for the 27-year-old and few chances have been taken with the opponent.
Ronny Rios is experienced but exposed and the American has twice failed in world championship bouts.
Nevertheless, there will be a cracking atmosphere with a packed crowd inside the M&S Bank Arena and we have a big fight night punt to consider.
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Tips
Under 7.5 rounds 4/5
Wrecking Ball set to demolish inactive opponent
There’s a collateral form line to consider when Nick Ball and Ronny Rios meet on Saturday night with both fighters having previously taken on Rey Vargas in world title bouts.
Rios was comprehensively beaten in a virtual shutout and lost by unanimous decision to Vargas when challenging the Mexican for the WBC World super-bantamweight title in 2017.
Ball was taken to a split-decision draw by the Mexican in a WBC world featherweight clash earlier this year, but clearly that contest came much later in Vargas’s career.
The fact that Rios was able to go the distance against the Mexican former world champion reads pretty well in the contest of Saturday’s bout against Wrecking Ball, but there is more to consider.
That points defeat came way back in 2017 and the Californian has fought only eight times since his Carson loss.
The bulk of those eight contests have been low-key successes, but Azat Hovhannisyan stopped Rios in 2018 and the 2022 knockout loss to Murodjon Akhmadaliev was a heavy reversal.
The American was floored by a body shot in the 12th round against Akhmadaliev and the Uzbekistan dished out some fierce punishment to Rios.
The Californian was out of the ring for nearly two years following the loss to Akhmadaliev, before returning to beat Nicolas Polanco in April and it appears that the defeat to MJ was keenly felt.
Ball looks sure to go on the front foot on Saturday night and the Merseyside man is relentless in terms of pressure and punch output.
Wrecking Ball is likely to hunt his opponent around the M&S Bank Arena ring and it will be a wonder if Rios has the remaining speed, conditioning and punch resistance to keep the Liverpool boxer at bay.
A small play on under 7.5 rounds looks the best way to approach Saturday night’s fight.
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