Rather than providing a glimpse behind the curtain, social media has given boxing fans a ringside seat to the inner workings of the sport. <\/p>\n
Fights are negotiated in plain sight, feuds erupt and peter out and \u2014 for better or worse \u2014 we learn more about the fighters\u2019 lives than ever before.<\/p>\n
Everyone, that is, apart from Nick Ball<\/a>. The occasional captionless holiday snap or training photo aside, the WBA featherweight champion keeps things deliberately low key.<\/p>\n In an era when some fighters spend more time building their image and profile outside the ring than challenging themselves inside it, Ball remains a mystery. <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and it’s staying that way,\u201d Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs)<\/a> told The Ring <\/a>with a laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s why I don’t put things all over social media, because they’ll never know. It’s all too much. Also, it’s good to stay focused in real life and not get distracted by this Instagram and all these apps on your phone. Stay in real life.\u201d<\/p>\n Ball\u2019s unique fighting style, unassuming character and aversion to publicity make him an anomaly in the clout hungry world of modern boxing.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n People refuse to accept what they don\u2019t understand, and despite a long, impressive run of form and his no-holds-barred style of fighting the 28-year-old Liverpudlian receives a fraction of the attention or acclaim of other less accomplished fighters. <\/p>\n Ball also believes that his rivals in and around the featherweight division are continuing to overlook him.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThey all underestimate me until they get in there with me,\u201d he said. \u201cEven people watching underestimate me. It\u2019s different when you’re feeling it, when I\u2019m in your face and you realise how strong I am.”<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a good thing because they’ve been underestimating me all my life. I’ve been the underdog my whole life. It’s nothing new to me. I love it.<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially where we’re from, we get overlooked. It\u2019s hard to make it out from where I’m from and do your city proud. I\u2019ve done that, I’ve overcome that. Everything now is a bonus and I’m going to keep going now at this top level.\u201d<\/p>\n Although he doesn\u2019t spend hour after hour glued to his phone, Ball does keep up to date with the news and couldn\u2019t fail to miss the very public criticism that some extremely high profile fighters have recently received for turning in some safety-first performances. <\/p>\n Given Ball\u2019s all-action, aggressive way of fighting you may expect him to come down firmly on one particular side of the argument. That isn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n Ball\u2019s short, stocky stature and relentless work rate pose a unique set of problems for his featherweight counterparts. He has spent years honing his skills and working out the best way to apply them. Ball isn\u2019t going to voluntarily give up those advantages and doesn\u2019t see why others should be talked out of boxing to their strengths, whatever they are. <\/p>\n \u201cThat’s up to them, isn’t it?\u201d Ball said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot on the line so if they want to box that way, they can and if people want to judge them, let them. The people that are judging them wouldn’t dare step in the ring so it doesn’t matter, does it? As long as they’re getting paid.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cAt the top, you’ve got to play it safe anyway. You can’t just go all guns blazing with top opponents at world level because you’ll get tagged on the way in and then they’ll be laughing at you when you’re on the floor. It\u2019s a hard one.<\/p>\n “It depends what type of boxing you want to watch. If you want to watch exciting fighters then there’s a certain few you can watch but at the end of the day, boxing is hitting and not getting hit so if they want to do it by boxing, they can.\u201d<\/p>\n Although Ball is now established at the top of the world featherweight division and the stakes get higher with each outing, he isn\u2019t going to temper his style or change the approach that has brought him this far.<\/p>\n Ball has been competing at the highest level since he beat former WBO junior featherweight champion, Isaac Dogboe, in November 2023.<\/p>\n In his first world title tilt, he had to settle for an unfortunate draw after appearing to bully tall, gangly Mexican veteran, Rey Vargas<\/a>. Three months later, however, he outfought slick New Jersey southpaw, Raymond Ford<\/a>, to win the WBA title. Ball has tested himself against a variety of styles and experience has taught him that he is best served by imposing himself.<\/p>\n One of boxing\u2019s laziest assumptions is that being defensively aware means using slick footwork, reflexes and distance to avoid punches but, providing it is done smartly, staying close can sometimes be the safest place in a ring. <\/p>\n \u201cMy sort of offence is my defence,\u201d he said. \u201cI’m hitting them and then I’m not getting hit back because I’m hitting them that much, maybe. I don’t know. I’ve still got loads to work on now at this level. You learn every day.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery opponent’s different so I don’t really look at them and think, \u201cOh, I need to work on something because he’s done that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a fight. You’re going to get hit at some point.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople think you just get to this level and lose your hunger. It\u2019s not the case because you’ve got something that they want and you’ve worked your whole life for it so you’re going to go harder and you can see what you can get, aren\u2019t you? You get a little taste for it and you want more of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since then, he has turned away the experienced Ronny Rios and the aggressive TJ Doheny. <\/a><\/p>\n