Through the middle rounds, the action remained close. Ball had some solid moments when he caught Figueroa going forward, while Figueroa continued to apply pressure and throw with volume. In the later rounds, the fight appeared to be out of whack, with Ball still competing but pulling in a steady performance.
Late Finish Turns Tough Fight On Its Head
The end came quickly in the twelfth round. Figueroa landed a left hand on the chin that dropped Ball for a long time. Ball rose, but Figueroa quickly followed up with a sustained attack that sent Ball back to the ropes, prompting referee Steve Gray to wave the belt at 0:32 of the round. The stoppage handed Ball the first loss of his professional career and gave Figueroa the new WBA featherweight crown.
In the main event, WBC Silver bantamweight champion Andrew Cain recovered from a setback to stop Alejandro Gonzalez in the ninth round of the final knockout. Cain was dropped twice in the eighth round by shots but responded strongly in the ninth, scoring two of his own before the referee intervened.
WBA International super flyweight champion Jack Turner stopped Juan Carlos Martinez Urbina after three rounds of a scheduled ten round fight. Martinez Urbina was knocked out late in the first round and held the pressure before settling down at the end of the third round.
Former European super bantamweight champion Brad Strand has forced a third round stoppage against Ruben Lezama Gonzalez. Strand bloodied Gonzalez’s nose in the second round and ended matters with a solid body attack early in the third.
Middleweight Stephen Clarke stopped Lewis Howells in the eighth and final round. Clarke applied consistent pressure in the later rounds as Howells tried to see the fight out.
Lucas Biswana knocked out Liam Macmillan in the first round of their welterweight title fight, dropping him three times with body shots before referee Mark Lyson stopped the contest.
William Birchall stopped Caine Singh in the first round of their super featherweight contest after controlling the action in the opening bell.
Jack Swallow earned a six-round decision over Paddy Lacey, earning an upset after landing a body count. Swallow ended two power plays and took the decision with a score card of 58-57.
Luke Turner stopped Jensen Irving in the fourth and final round of their middleweight title fight after keeping Irving under pressure for most of the contest.
Super featherweight Sam Norris won a four round decision over Jack England, using his height and work level to control the action.
Featherweight Hassan Ishaq stopped Leo Baez in the third round, scoring a knockout in the second before ending the fight with a right hand in the third.
The ring announcer was Thomas Treiber.
