Fury Defends Ball After First Loss
“This is a message to Nick Ball. Fantastic fight, mate. Unlucky. This is boxing; it happens. You win some, you lose some,” Fury said. “Get some time off with well-deserved rest, then get back in the gym. A great little fighter, and you can come back and be world champion again 100%.”
Ball had entered Saturday night unbeaten before being stopped late by Brandon Figueroa, a former two-division champion, in a fight many observers felt was close heading into the final round. The loss immediately triggered criticism on social media, something Fury addressed directly.
“The next one is for all the haters out there and people that ain’t got no guts at all to get in a boxing ring and try it,” Fury said. “You’re absolutely shamefully an embarrassment, hating on people who try their best in life, and the man has fought a two-weight world champion, and you try to give him stick.”
Fury, the former heavyweight champion, went further, framing the criticism as coming from people disconnected from the reality of fighting at the highest level.
“It’s always a cowardly person who is trying to hate on somebody who is trying to do something that they could only dream about doing,” he said. “Get in there and have a fight yourself.”
He closed his message by encouraging Ball to move forward rather than dwell on the defeat.
“Chin up, Nick. All the best,” Fury said.
Ball’s loss marked the first defeat of his professional career, ending his run as WBA featherweight champion. Fury’s response highlighted how quickly the tone around a fighter can change after a single result, and how firmly some within the sport are pushing back against that reaction.
