THE RESULT: In a compelling battle of two halves, Rey Vargas dominated the opening six rounds of his WBC featherweight title defence against Nick Ball before allowing Ball, seemingly beaten, to come back into the fight in the final six. Not only did Ball come back into the fight, he also scored two knockdowns – one more genuine than the other – and pushed Vargas to such an extent that the two fighters were in the end unable to be split. Indeed, when the final bell tolled in Riyadh and the fight went to the judges, the three cards delivered a split draw by scores of 114-112 to Vargas, 116-110 to Ball, and 113-113.
KEY MOMENTS: Both fighters had their moments throughout, with Vargas’ all coming in the first six rounds and Ball’s coming in the final six rounds. In the first six rounds it was all about Vargas’ movement, his ring generalship, and the brilliant body shots with which he punished Ball round after round. These shots, thrown with both his left and right hand, would slash the midsection of the Liverpudlian and have him thinking twice about closing the distance.
Still, though, Ball ploughed forward, of course, and in round seven he secured his first breakthrough in the fight, nailing Vargas with a huge right hand which turned the fight on its head. After it, Ball harassed Vargas, his legs unsteady, and refused to relent until the bell. It was then in the next round he dropped Vargas for the first time, cuffing him with a left hook having spun and thrown the Mexican to the floor beforehand. This was a bone of contention for Vargas, and he seemed to have a point, yet far more conclusive was the knockdown Ball would score in the 11th round, which was delivered via his right hand, with Vargas moving against the ropes, and appeared to swing the fight in Ball’s favour.
RECORDS: Ball, 27, is now 19-0-1 (11), while Vargas, 33, is now 36-1-1 (22).
TALKING POINT: The big talking point both before the fight and during it was the sheer size difference between the two featherweights. With some eight and a half inches between them, it made sense for Vargas to use his superior height and reach to keep Ball at the end of his jab for as long as possible. This he did at times, too, and to good effect, yet, being Mexican, there were also other occasions when Vargas wanted to stand his ground and whip body shots the way of Ball, as well as uppercuts when Ball rumbled forward. As for Ball, it was a testament to his determination and self-belief that he never let Vargas’ size or early success bother him.
QUOTABLE: After the fight, Nick Ball said: “I had two knockdowns and I was putting the pressure on for the whole fight. I was the aggressor and thought I did enough to win it. It was a bit frustrating (getting broken up by the referee when trying to work), but you can’t get angry about it. You have to stay focused and get on with the job. I knew I was at that level – it was just about getting the opportunity to show it. I’ve shown that tonight, but it’s disappointing really.”
Vargas, meanwhile, when asked about a rematch, said: “Yes, of course. I will even come here to his back yard to fight him. I am not afraid of him. If they pay me three or four times what I got tonight, we can fight tomorrow.”
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: Leading the rematch talk was Frank Warren, Ball’s promoter, who said, “He (Ball) won the fight. Listen to the crowd. Did he win it or did he not win it? He won the fight. I just don’t understand. He lost a few of the early rounds but I’m telling you he won that fight. I’m sure a rematch will get ordered by the WBC.”