Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball WBC Special Preview
By James Blears
World Boxing Council featherweight champion Rey Vargas is determined not to come up short against stocky Nick “Wrecking” Ball, by distancing himself when defending his title on March 8th at the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh.
It’s part of the prestigious Riyadh Season and this bill for Ball and Vargas, is enticingly entitled: “Knockout Chaos”, also starring Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou in the heavyweight main event.
Compact Ball, who is the WBC Silver Champion, comes into this with a 19-0, 11 KO record. He stands just five feet five inches tall and has a reach of 59.6 inches. That hasn’t hampered the fresh faced 26 year old, who is noted for his explosive power while facing all manner of opponents who come in all shapes and sizes.
The Merseyside marauder boldly states: “I can box, I can fight, but my strength is all action. I’m ready to make statements and it has been a long time in the coming. I’m letting every featherweight on the planet know that I’m coming for them. Just line them up and I’ll knock them out!”
He’s aiming to transform silver into gold. Hardly alchemy, but it will require vulcanized steel, amounting to appreciably even more than a sterling silver performance!
Standing fair and square and loftily in his way, as well as more than ready to test his own mettle, is seasoned, savvy, burnished and wily Rey Vargas, who is five feet seven and a half inches tall and has an albatross-like reach of seventy and a half inches. Rey’s record also extends appreciably longer, as it’s 36-1, 22 KO’s.
Rey is a former WBC super bantamweight champion, and he won the WBC featherweight title by defeating Mark Magsayo, getting up from a ninth round knockdown to win a split decision. But then he came up short in an ambitious attempt to win the vacant WBC super-featherweight against robust O’Shaquie Foster, who outboxed, outfoxed and outmuscled him on the night to win a UD.
Rey is now back at a weight which better suits his lanky frame and to which he’s determined to apply his flexible and agile state of mind.
He stayed cool to win the WBC super -bantamweight title by MD, against Briton Gavin McDonnell at the Ice Ring, Hull in chilly Yorkshire, and five successful defenses followed, including a UD win over former WBO bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda, before chancing his arm to win the next division against Maygaso in a veritable firefight, after firstly testing the waters with a UD victory against Leonardo Baez.
Rey is a maestro of distance boxing, fully utilizing his long reach. To have success, Ball, who is aiming to go further than just nicking it, will have to get past that long wingspan and land often on an elusive target.
Trained by Paul Stevenson, Nick won the WBC Silver featherweight title with a sixth round TKO of Isaac Lowe, who was down in the second and suffered a cut above his left eye a round later. In his first defense Nick dug deep to win with a 12th round TKO of Nathanial Kakololo, who stood a head and shoulders taller than him. A right hook, followed by an even bigger left wobbled the Namibian who turned his back and it was stopped at 1.27.
Then a much shorter night against Mexican Jesus Ramirez Rubio who was down three times en route to a smash and grab first round TKO defeat. Ludumo Lamati was TKO’d in the 12th when his corner threw in the towel and later taken to hospital, where he remained for several weeks, but mercifully no lasting damage.
Nick’s most recent fight was a UD victory against former WBO super-bantamweight champion Isaac Dogboe who was down in the fourth. Nick won via a convincing UD. He’d do well to note that Rey has stopped 22 opponents, more than Ball has had fights, so can bang a bit himself.
At 26, Nick is seven years younger than Rey. This fight will be a significant step up in class for him and will test him as never before. So far he’s passed every test and done everything asked of him. The biggest and tallest test now faces him.
The taller, rangier champion must keep this fight at distance, denying the younger man the opportunity to get in close, where he’s aiming to be… toe to toe.
Rey, whose home is Otumba, State of Mexico, near the pyramids of the Sun and Moon, trains at high altitude. He’s going to need that perpetual non-stop energy level which it provides, because Nick never stops surging forward throwing clusters of punches from all angles. Rey’s key will be winging them in long and straight.
The long and short of it is… either Rey maintaining distance or Nick negating it. A tall order awaits.
Tale of the Tape
Rey Vargas (Mexico)
WBC Featherweight World Champion
Age: 31
DOB: November 25, 1990
Residence: Otumba, México, Mexico
Birthplace: Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Record: 36-1, 22 KO
Rounds: 234
World championship fights: 7-1
Height: 5’7” – 172cm
Reach: 70.5” – 179cm
Stance: Right-handed
Trainer: Carlos Vargas
Advisor: Al Haymon
Promoter: Premier Boxing Champion
Nick Ball (UK)
WBC #1 Featherweight Mandatory Challenger
Age: 27
DOB: February 28, 1997
Residence: Liverpool, United Kingdom
Birthplace: Liverpool, United Kingdom
Record: 19-0, 11 KOs
Total rounds: 90
Height: 5’2” – 157cm
Reach: 65” – 165cm
Stance: Right-handed
Trainer: Paul Stevenson
Manager: Frank Warren
Promoter: Queensberry Promotions
Quotes
Rey Vargas: “I thank everyone involved in this fight. I’m ready to get in the ring and talk with my fists. “I always have intense preparation to arrive in great condition for the fight and this is no exception.”
Nick Ball: “It is a great opportunity for me to be here in Riyadh. I respect my rival, but being world champion has always been my dream and I am going to be crowned on Friday. “We’ve had a great training camp and I’m confident in what I can achieve.”
How to Watch
DAZN PPV / Sky Sports Box Office
Ringwalks
UK: 8:20pm UK (approx)
USA: 3:20pm ET (approx)
