INOUE? BRING IT ON, SAYS NICK BALL

NICK BALL IS about to defend his WBA world title for the first time against Ronny Rios in Liverpool on October 5, but this did not stop him welcoming the prospect of the great Naoya Inoue putting on a few pounds and taking the plunge at featherweight.

It has long been considered inevitable that the fearsome and dominant Japanese hero will continue to navigate the weight classes, having been world champion at light flyweight, super flyweight, bantamweight and now super bantamweight.

He currently holds four world title belts at 122lbs with the distinction of being undisputed champion. With little else to prove at the weight, shifting up to take on the 126-pounders is surely a looming event.

It is not a prospect that strikes any fear into the heart of the pride of Liverpool, who intends to test himself against the best there is.

“Yeah! Anyone really, anyone who they are calling the top guy and the best,” he responded to the question of going up against Inoue. “Anyone they are speaking about highly, I want to be fighting them, definitely.

“I will be waiting for him,” he warned, before staking the claim to be the finest featherweight on the planet.

“I know I am. I’ve got one belt out of four so there is another three to get. Them belts are there for the taking and that is what I am looking to do, to get all four belts.”

With being a current world champion, Ball accepts that challenges to his own supremacy will come from far and wide, but he insists his current status will only be improved upon.

“That is what you’re going to get, proper fighters will be wanting to fight me and take what is mine. That’s normal and you can’t really blame them for that.

“I am world champion and everyone has dreams of becoming world champion. They are proper fighters but I am here to stay. I’ve worked too hard and for too long to get to this point for someone to take it off me. That’s not happening.

“It will be all action again on October 5, an explosive performance from myself and everyone on the card from the gym. It is going to be a massive night.”

Nick Ball returns to his home city of Liverpool on October 5 when he takes on Ronny Rios in a first defence of his WBA world featherweight championship at the M&S Bank Arena, live on TNT Sports. British and Commonwealth bantamweight champion Andrew Cain will fight for the vacant WBC International Silver title against the Colombian Lazaro Casseres. The vacant British super lightweight title will be on the line when the undefeated Henry Turner and Jack Rafferty take to the ring, with the WBC International Silver and Commonwealth championships also at stake. Cuban star Jadier Herrera, who now fights out of Liverpool, will take on Oliver Flores for the vacant WBA International lightweight title.

Also featuring on the card will be Belfast lightweight James McGivern, Liverpool super bantamweight Brad Strand, Liverpool bantamweight Jack Turner, Morecambe featherweight Nelson Birchall, London heavyweight Boma Brown, Lancaster super welterweight Walter Fury and Sandy middleweight Joe Cooper.

The 2024 National Amateur welterweight champion Lucas Biswana from Liverpool will make his professional debut.