Nick Ball stops Ronny Rios in 10 to retain featherweight title
Nick Ball defended his WBA featherweight championship successfully today in Liverpool, knocking down Ronny Rios three times before achieving a TKO in the 10th round.
Ball (21-0-1, 12 KOs) kept up his impressive performance in 2024 by knocking Rios down in the third and seventh rounds, and again in the tenth round. In that final knockdown, Rios (34-5, 17 KOs) ended up falling through the ropes and onto the ring's apron, but he managed to get back inside before his corner decided to stop the fight by throwing in the towel.
Rios, 34, put in a remarkable performance, especially considering he hadn't competed at this level for more than two years and had only fought once during that period. However, the 27-year-old Ball was as determined as ever and managed to wear Rios down. Although Rios made his mark by landing some solid punches and causing Ball to bleed, he couldn't inflict enough damage to stop the champion from pressing on.
