Nick Ball will fight Rey Vargas for the WBC featherweight title on March 8; Ball is determined to be victorious and "open doors" for unifications; Luis Alberto Lopez fights Reiya Abe for the IBF title and Otabek Kholmatov boxes Ray Ford for the WBA championship live on Sky Sports from 1am
Saturday 2 March 2024 07:02, UK
Liverpool’s Nick Ball has the most important fight of his career on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou, live on Sky Sports Box Office on March 8.
He will fight Rey Vargas for the WBC featherweight title. "He's in my way," Ball warned. "I've wanted a world title shot my whole life and I've got it. So the chance is now. It doesn't matter who's in there with me. I'll take it from them.
"I've been working my whole life for it and now I've got the chance, on a massive platform. So I'm not going to let it slip. Definitely not.
"It means everything to me."
Ball also intends to deliver a message in this title bout - that he is one of the most exciting fighters in Britain.
"It'll be an explosive performance," he told Sky Sports. "I know I've got a lot more in me to show. This opponent and this style, this will bring the best out of me."
Sky Sports will also broadcast a key night of featherweight fights in the early hours of Sunday morning when Luis Alberto Lopez fights Reiya Abe for the IBF title and Otabek Kholmatov boxes Ray Ford for the WBA championship, live on Sky Sports Action from 1am.
Ball believes victory against Vargas can lead him to unification bouts with the champions who emerge from those contests.
"Once I win that, the doors open, anything can happen," he said.
Lopez, the IBF featherweight champion, who's beaten both Leeds' Josh Warrington and Belfast's Michael Conlan, would be a particularly appealing opponent.
"He stopped Conlan, he looked good in that," Ball said. "It was a good fight. I like his style, he comes forward and throws hard punches so he's exciting, no matter what fight he's going to be in, which I like because you've got to give people their money's worth.
"He's the type of fighter that will do that, like myself," Ball added. "You've got to excite them so that's what we do.
"But any of these world champions and anyone at my weight, get me in with them… I'll fight anyone."
Watch Lopez vs Abe and Kholmatov vs Ford live on Sky Sports Action from 1am on Sunday
You can now start receiving messages and alerts for the latest breaking sports news, analysis, in-depth features and videos from our dedicated WhatsApp channel!
