The Ring’s No. 3-rated featherweight will put his WBA title on the line against No. 7 Brandon Figueroa in the fourth defence of his title and the third to take place down the road from where he grew up.

Ball, perhaps Britain’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter and the only current British male champion to have defended his title successfully,  has been at the heart of Queensberry Promotions’ push up in Liverpool.

But Saturday will be a showcase of the current depth of talent in the famous fighting city given that all five fights on the cards that will take place over eight rounds or more will feature a Scouse favourite.

“It’s a good time isn’t it?” Ball says. “We should be proud that we’re doing what we’re doing.”

In the chief support, Ball’s big-punching stablemate at the famed Everton Red Triangle Andrew Cain (14-1, 12 KOs) faces Alejandro Jair Gonzalez over 12. 

Before that, Croxteth junior bantamweight Jack Turner and bantamweight Brad Strand, another man from the Red Triangle, are both in 10 rounders. Finally, undefeated Ste Clarke (8-0, 1 KO) steps up for the first eight-rounder of his career.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a more experienced figure than anyone,” says Ball. “We’re all the same.


“I’m just at the top at the moment aren’t I? They’re on their way to the top and I’ve showed them it can be done, not that I needed to because they all know themselves.

 “But I’ve showed them it can be done, someone who comes from where we come from, our gym, in my city - in our city. So it can be done. The hard work and dedication pays off. I’ve given them something to look at so they can think 'well if Nick has done it, why can’t I?' “I’m no different to them. They’ve got dreams to become world champion just like I had. They’ve seen me do it, putting on these shows on in Liverpool. Fighting in the arena in the main event, defending the world title, that’s what they want to do.

 “They’re all going to keep working hard, winning the fights, looking up and saying ‘that will be me one day’ because it will be them if they keep doing what they’re doing.”

That sort of representation is no different to the examples that Ball had when he was coming through. Although he will fight in the centre of the arena on Saturday night, there were times when he was in the stands watching the city’s famous Smith brothers, Paul, Liam, Stephen and Callum. Tony Bellew, the former WBC cruiserweight champion, was another example for Ball to follow. “There have been loads of great fighters,” Ball adds. “Tony Bellew is from here as well, it was fighters like that for me.

 “It’s good to be around and among these great fighters in the city, looking up to them and helping each other on the way up. We’re all from the same city doing what we love and that’s good because these are our people.

 “There’s no place like home so it’s a good feeling.”

But Ball admits his position at the vanguard of Liverpool’s latest wave of talent has brought with it an element of pressure.

“Yeah, there's definitely always pressure there,” he says. “But it's good pressure, isn't it? It's what you do with the pressure - you can use it to your advantage and perform your best under it. I feel, if you're a tough fighter you can handle it but some people can't. “You pray for it your whole life for this, it's mad. On the way up, fighting on the ticket-selling shows, selling tickets to fights in the nightclubs or sports centres. “You're looking at people on these big shows in the Arena, selling them out and you’re wishing you were on them, wishing that you were main event on that type of show. So now that you've got it, it means everything.”