Nick Ball vs. Ronny Rios, WBA title
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00:00tucked in but shots get through he's leaning forward remember so he's making it a little bit
00:05easier for Nick Ball but nevertheless Nick Ball there's not a lot to aim at there but he still
00:10gets through with the shots Nick Ball sustains the pressure volume of punches and look at this
00:16again what an attack that was that wasn't a bad response though from Rios oh almost knocked off
00:23balance again Rios thought long and hard about coming back into this hardest of sports but he
00:33went away and he worked diligently and very quietly for a whole year to get his conditioning
00:38right even before his own team would talk to him about the comeback I wonder what his thoughts
00:43are right now maybe he'd say you know what this kind of combat is what I missed it's certainly
00:50very very hard to see a way he comes through the other side of it yeah this is tough isn't it
00:59for Rios here but fair play to him he's still there but you're just waiting for Nick Ball to
01:05land another clean shot lots of opportunities like I said when Rios actually lets his hands
01:11go that's when he's more vulnerable that's when the openings start to appear this is where he's
01:15got to watch it those shots have got to be crisp and sharp and he's got to get those hands back up
01:20very quickly ball on a standing square and just waiting to pivot and throw the big shots Rios
01:28backs onto the ropes again takes two or three straight right hands in that excellent combination
01:32from ball you're right though Richie Rios has had better moments in this round as if to say
01:37I've looked into the abyss in this fight what can be worse yeah exactly but how much can he keep
01:43taking though Paul this is the big question again on the receiving end ball going landing that's
01:48another good shot from him it really was Rios didn't catch it on the way back out again did he
01:54and another good crisp job from ball
01:59I mean I take my hat off to Ronald Rios what a tough man he really is
02:04oh lead left uppercut again from Nick Ball what a super shot great variation in his work
02:15going for a pull this time in his own corner
02:24Rios doing his best to shut himself down like a hedgehog but he's not spiky enough from his
02:32little shell is he that's the problem it's easy for ball
02:35again he can't afford to try and throw shots like that and leave himself open Rios
02:45at least Rios had a moment or two in that one
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03:15give me all this but keep your chin down he's trying to counter you every time you go into
03:18the body he's looking to count you with the uppercut a little short here
03:21down he's trying to count you every time you go into the body he's looking to count you with the
03:23uppercut a little short hook so be careful with that welcome back everybody it's a proper world
03:28title fight tonight here on TNT sports and it's hard but it's hard most of all for Ronnie Rios
03:35Nicky Ball is right on top of his game once more tonight and he is breathtaking like this
03:41he's surely miles clear so far
03:45on the other hand Richie Bob Williams the referee was maybe a moment or two away from stopping it
03:54and Rios knows that and that having been through so much in his career may say listen i'm on
04:02free time here now but if he allows the space it's going to be the same
04:07and more punishment after punishment round after round
04:11well he's obviously trained really hard for this one Rios is in good condition because to take this
04:17type of stick and still come through it that shows he's really fit so he'd have had a really hard
04:21camp he's trained really well for this one but again we know that that Nick Ball you know he's
04:26relentless he just keeps it going he seems to punch as quick in every round Paul same speed same
04:34power Rios for me when he's letting his hands actually goes in twos and threes that's probably
04:40when he's more vulnerable and open i think he's got to stick to single shots and maybe the odd
04:44right uppercut on the inside most certainly those kind of shots in his heyday those lefts to the
04:50body particularly were extremely effective but can he fight at the pace that ball is setting
04:56i rather doubt it missing see those are a little bit better shots those singles there
05:03he's having glimpses here and that's mainly because i think Nick Ball has just actually
05:08slowed down a little bit and he's keeping his distance a little bit more now ball
05:13so maybe he's taking a round off himself he's put a lot of effort into these rounds remember
05:17Nick Ball he's won every one of them he's got a 10-8 in there as well with the knockdown
05:22but Rios just starting to believe in himself a little bit here so Nick Ball's
05:26going to try and snub this out this isn't a bad response from Rios
05:32he is defying logic to a great degree potentially he's going to win this round at the moment
05:39the blood from the nose of ball going everywhere to be honest
05:46but he's undeterred by that
05:53the great thing is the way it's gone so far there is no need for ball to rush into anything Richie
05:58Rios has got it all on to clamber back into this fight even if it does keep going
06:04and he's taking the odd shot here though Nick Ball but still the speed still with him he just
06:08naturally slowed down a little bit he might be just taking a little bit of a breather
06:12understandably poor the pace that he's set but that's just allowed Rios in the corner Rios's
06:18corner and shouting at him and they're trying to encourage him because he's been on the receiving
06:23end this has probably been his best round the jab has started to work a little bit better
06:33so
06:42trying to make sure he claims the round with that attack right on the bell
06:45but Rios might be well pleased with what's happened there
06:56Nick
07:01do you want to spit?
07:05breathe in through your mouth lovely and cool breathe through your mouth nice and calm
07:15I love that nose under control a long time Andrew's good
07:19so now more the same but start switching the attacks to the body look for your uppercuts
07:23because you're landing them you know your jab just keep tidy tight and tidy you're beating
07:27them up slowly breaking them down look don't give them anything you know what I mean give nothing
07:32away that is Mr Stevenson and the emporium for the education of the young pugilists of Liverpool
07:38in operation everybody is calm everybody is focused the Everton red triangle on this great
07:44night for the club and ball the star pupil from the academy at this moment and he's bossing a
07:52world title fight here in Liverpool but world-class Ronnie Rios is not going to just walk out and
08:01leave ball to take the accolades he is going to try to make ball work for this yes most certainly
08:08I thought Ronnie Rios had his best round in the last round give him a bit of confidence there's a
08:13superb jab there from ball that was excellent just a simple shot stepping in short range jab
08:20if you like what a shot that was as he's moving forward and he's listening to his coach there Paul
08:25Stevenson sent him he said get back behind your jab set up the attacks break the opponent down
08:31that's what he said and I think you know ball knows he's in a fight here Rios has weathered
08:36the storm a little bit but it's still all in the ball if it is to be a loss for Rios
08:48there's a way to lose isn't there for a man like Rios and this is it in boxing parlance going out
08:55on your shield but if he keeps going like this we may see him again in a big fight because people
09:02will notice a how brave he has been b how he kept going under the most extreme pressure in round three
09:09and then Richie since then in flashes good boxing from here keeping ball at it
09:18they're certainly making Nick Ball think a little bit
09:24and again good uppercut on the inside Rios felt the uppercut but Bob Williams said you
09:29were hanging on to him a bit just give him a little shove didn't he into that corner
09:33he wasn't too pleased with that set it well again behind that jab
09:39that's another shot from Rios and a good response from Nick Ball
09:45he seems to put everything into every shot doesn't he Nick Ball yeah it's a great effect normally yeah
09:50maybe what we're seeing as well Richie is the ring rust falling off Rios as the rounds go by
09:56because at his own pace in this fight he is starting to produce but when he's been out for
10:02so long with only one comeback fight nowhere near this level what a rude reintroduction it has been
10:09tonight for Ronnie Rios absolutely but maybe he loves it well you know you've got to give him
10:17great credit for coming back the way he has because he's been under so much pressure he's been hurting
10:22there one point he was very close to being stopped but he weathered the storm he got through it and
10:27now let's give him a little bit of momentum he's flooring his way back or trying to anyway
10:35leading with the hook there that was a bad shot there for Nick Ball but he was
10:39he got back into it quite well there after that shot
10:46wow it's breathless stuff captivating world title fight from here at ringside let's see how it looks
10:52from the perspective of Mr Steve Bunce, Steve. Breathless indeed it is absolutely Dempo in the
10:59third round I think we all thought it was going to be over but he's worked his way back into the
11:03fight Rios he might not be winning the rounds but he's making Ball think thankfully Ball slowed
11:08down a bit so far we've had a fight of two halves we're moving into the final stretch now be
11:13interested to see what Rios does I'm not quite sure Rios has got that much left it was a great plan
11:19I don't think it worked but he's made Nick Ball think and that's all we want from our champions
11:24that we see them think and hit people on the chin Dempo
11:30Richie your scorecard thank you Steve yeah I've only given um Ronnie Rios what one round that was
11:36the previous a couple of rounds ago so I think Nick Ball is well in control he's well on top
11:44but there are signs from Ronnie Rios that he has getting a little bit of belief into his boxing
11:50well Nick Ball's well ahead here Paul no question Andy O'Neill in the corner's had a busy night
11:55alongside Paul Stevenson swabbing away the blood from that nose injury of some sort we
12:01may hear more about the nose after the fight but in the heat of battle forget it
12:10he goes over Rios and it's going to be counted as a knockdown Rios doesn't agree with that
12:16oh there's a good left hook that went in there wasn't it but at the same time
12:21maybe not balanced we'll have to have a look at it again at the end of the round but certainly
12:25ball definitely caught him with a left hook again Richie for ball here perhaps
12:31as we start the second half of the fight much like the first half that's nice there just
12:37maintaining that gap Nick Ball then just punching into that space that's what he's so good at
12:43short and mid-range power punch yet
12:47it just leans back and finds that room in space bad position for Rios to be on top of the herd
12:53just above us on the ropes and he's really had to crack his shot again from ball there and that
12:58lead up across Paul belted shot the pressure is building again
13:05ball is boiling out
13:08Rios right into his own corner but friendless in the world at this moment here in Liverpool
13:16the boy from the red triangle the red ring post behind Rios
13:24the good uppercuts again went in from Nick Ball he's a bad position for Rios gets caught again there
13:30Rios
13:32this would be the bad time day for Rios Nick Ball I think senses victory Paul he's just got to
13:37steady himself he does it would be foolhardy at this stage to walk on to one Richie when he's in
13:42such a clear lead isn't it intriguing at world level every time he's fought for a world title
13:49three in sidewalk seven months completely different test
13:52this is a really tough fight for both boxers here
14:00great shot again Nick Ball simple jab Rios trying to respond how much has he got left
14:09so
14:18setting up these attacks again Nick Ball behind that jab sensible listening to his corner
14:25the Rios corner just urging him to pick the pace up easier said than done maybe the Rios of 10
14:31years ago would have obliged but not now he's in against the kid who's what seven years younger
14:37and fresher and full of belief that he's going to retain his world title
14:59that was a much better round Paul Stevenson says good round again
15:04wasn't quite at the level of the third in terms of the distraction Richie but it wasn't far behind
15:09no not at all what's at the start of the round have a look here so yeah it's more or less on
15:15the side of the head isn't it and it is a slight push also but I don't know whether it was actually
15:20a clean shot Paul sort of on the temple or on the side of the head but here he keeps the attacks
15:25going a couple of good uppercuts going in from Nick Ball referee very close indeed just taking
15:33a look at the action there but another round for Nick Ball