Winner of Nick Ball vs Isaac Dogboe will land WBC World title shot
The victor will face the winner of Rey Vargas vs Brandon Figueroa
Undefeated featherweight star Nick Ball (18-0, 11KOs) will meet former world champion Isaac Dogboe (24-3, 15KO) on Saturday, November 18, in Manchester.
The top two featherweights will clash on a Queensberry Promotions event, live on TNT Sports, with the winner facing the victor of the fight between WBC World featherweight champion Rey Vargas and WBC Interim titlist Brandon Figueroa, due to take place this year.
Undefeated WBC Silver featherweight champion Nick Ball, 26 from Liverpool, was last in action in May, fighting in Belfast for the first time as a pro to defend his green and gold belt to unbeaten South African Ludumo Lamati (21-1-1, 11KO), which ended via 12th round knockout. The former IBO World super-bantamweight was whisked away to hospital straight after his defeat and remained there for a few weeks, but has thankfully made a full recovery now.
Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe is a Ghanaian-British boxer, trained by Barry Hunter out of the Bald Eagle Gym in Washington D.C.
The 29-year-old won the WBO World super-bantamweight title from Jesse Magdaleno in 2018, but conceded it in his second defence to Emanuel Navarrete that same year.
After failing to recapture his belt in a rematch with ‘Vaquero’, Dogboe moved up to featherweight and reeled off four straight victories, capturing NABF and WBO International belts to earn a shot at the vacant WBO featherweight belt against Robeisy Ramirez but was denied by a unanimous decision.
“It is a good fight, and he has got a similar style to me in that he is small and comes forward,” Ball commented. “It is only going to make for an action-packed fight in my eyes. He has been a world champion and has been in with a few world champions so, on paper, he has got more experience. Although, if I can’t beat him, I won’t be no world champion.
“I definitely make myself favourite and always back myself. All my fights have been in London recently so, with this one being in Manchester and only 40 minutes away, my people will all get down and support me. There will be a big interest, and everyone will be taking notice of this one. I am one step away from a world title fight now and within touching distance.”
“I know coming off a world title loss, to many, it would’ve sunk them into the abyss,” said the now US-based star who hails from Accra. “But I am still on my feet and God is guiding me day after day. Fighting in a WBC world title eliminator against an opponent like Nick Ball is a wonderful opportunity. He’s a great fighter with a lot of buzz behind him in the UK. This fight is about redemption. I haven’t fought on English soil since I turned pro. My passion for boxing started there, and I can’t wait to return home.”
Trained by Paul Stevenson and Anthony Humphreys, Liverpool’s Ball has been closing in on a world title shot at reigning WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas for some time now.
The Everton Red Triangle student counts Olympian Peter McGrail, Andrew Cain and unbeaten Bradley Strand as teammates.
Despite being less experienced, Ball has stepped up to the challenge every time he has increased the level of his opponents, notably when he stopped Isaac Lowe at Wembley Stadium in October 2021.
Ball is far less experienced than Dogboe, but will be the home fighter on the night, having signed with promoter Frank Warren back in 2020.
Ball-Dogboe and Vargas-Figueroa, all due to take place in 2023, will see the top four in the division battle it out to crown the No.1 at featherweight.
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