There are certain fights, certain matchups, that when they are spoken of as far as taking place sometime quite soon, get fans all worked up in a big way. Such is the case with regards to a possibly in the works fight between Naoya Inoue and Nick Ball. Quite a lot has to fall into place before the reigning super-bantamweight king and the ruling WBA featherweight champ can rumble – Inoue has to beat Ramon Cardenas in April, and likely Murodjon Akhmadaliev after that, while Ball’s promoter Frank Warren is keen to see his charge unify all the belts at 126 pounds.
But some time, either late this year or early next year, Inoue and Ball may well fight one another. And this fight, this guaranteed thriller, has an ‘it has to happen’ feel about it. Inoue will make the move up to featherweight and try and become a five-weight champion, this in the opinion of most people, and Ball could be the first 126 pounder “The Monster” attempts to devour. But “The Wrecking Ball” will have plans of his own.
For now, the two have made it abundantly clear they are on one another’s radar.
“That Ball is funny, but don’t kick!” Inoue wrote on social media, this in reference to the kick Ball let loose with on TJ Doheny at the end of the opening round on Saturday night in Liverpool.
“When you’re ready to kick it at 126 lbs, let me know,” Ball shot back.
“Two fists are enough for me,” Inoue countered Ball’s counter.
“Let’s make it happen and find out then,” Ball responded.
And so many of us cannot wait to see what happens if/when Inoue, 29-0(26) and Ball, 22-0-1(13) fight. Wherever this one takes place, and when, let’s just make sure we see it. Some fans feel Ball, who is pure aggression each and every time he fights, could get tagged by something big by Inoue. Others feel Ball’s sheer pressure and his monster output of leather could give Inoue real problems, maybe even overwhelm him.
There’s no doubt about it, these two hugely entertaining ring warriors match up so, so well. Inoue would start favourite, he is a pound-for-pound modern great, after all. But nobody can ever write Ball off.
