5v5: Ball dethrones Ford for WBA 126lb belt

Sheeraz stops Ammo Williams, Hutchinson tops Richards

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Photo: Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

Unbeaten WBA #9 Nick “Wrecking” Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) dethroned previously unbeaten WBA featherweight champion Ray “Savage” Ford (15-1-1, 8 KOs) by twelve round split decision on Saturday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ball pressed the action and outworked Ford for the first half of the fight. Ford broke Ball’s nose in round seven and got the better down the stretch. In the end, the scores were 115-113 Ford, 115-113, 115-113 Ball.

In a WBC middleweight eliminator between unbeaten fighters, WBC #2 Hamzah Sheeraz (20-0, 16 KOs) scored an eleventh round TKO over WBC #5 Austin “Ammo” Williams (16-1, 11 KOs). Williams rocked Sheeraz in round one, but Sheeraz found his range and dominated Williams after that. Sheeraz dropped Williams at the end of round ten and got a referee’s stoppage in round eleven. Time was :45. The win put the Queensberry team ahead 6-0 against the Matchroom squad after three bouts, ensuring at least a draw in the 5v5 tourney.

WBC #7, WBO #7 light heavyweight and former amateur champion Willy Hutchinson (18-1, 13 KOs) scored a twelve round unanimous decision over former world title challenger and WBA #4 rated Craig “The Spider” Richards (18-4-1, 11 KOs). Scores were 116-112, 117-111, 119-109.

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  • I’d be surprised if Hutchinson ever beats another contender. He fought the weakest ranked light-heavyweight and was smacked around pretty good for much of it. Anyone else in the rankings would have beaten him to a pulp.

  • Ford was robbed, ref let Ball get away with mugging and hitting behind the head. Even with the ref Ford was landing cleaner shots and the harder shots in the fight.

  • Good win for Ball, close fight but he pulled it out with his effective work rate.

  • Loud mouth Williams just got his ass kicked! Sheeraz, a new star in the middleweight division?

  • Great fights, so far! The saudi arabian king the money man is not too hyped up on a canelo vs benavidez fight! Instead, he baddly wants bivol vs benavidez right after berteviev and canelo vs crawford! Its time for benavidez vs big hungry dogs! So, I guess we won’t see canelo vs the heavyweight any time soon! The money man has spoken! Thumbs up for the saudies for putting out great boxing shows!

    • I pray Canelo/Crawford doesn’t get made. Let Bud clean up at 154. Canelo needs to fight people in the SMW division. Bud is great, but so is Canelo and Bud has nothing to keep Canelo off of him. Let’s not forget Bud started out at 135. No fighter has had any real success at 168 that started at 135 or lower. Duran and Pazienza had VERY minor success at best.

  • #%*#, I missed everything. Was Ball vs. Ford close enough for a rematch?

    • Probably. I had Ball winning, but it was close enough to go either way. And it was great two-way action all fight long.

  • Great performance by Ball who deserved his win and it was a close fight but the correct winner. You win fights with your fists, not your mouth. Ammo and Ford had their arses handed to them last night. Well in the Brits

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