Frank Warren resurrects a fan favourite this Saturday at the Manchester Arena headed by Ball vs Dogboe, as he promotes seven tasty-looking championship contests on a stacked card. Top of the bill sees Nick Ball take a real acid test, as he takes part in a WBC featherweight title eliminator against former world champion, Isaac Dogboe.
TNT Sports televise Ball vs Dogboe live in the UK.
Since winning the vacant WBC Silver title in April last year with an impressive sixth round stoppage of Isaac Lowe at Wembley Stadium, Ball (18-0, 11KOs) has defended three times, all inside schedule. The Liverpudlian has shown durability in those three defences, scoring two final round stoppage wins, the last in May, halting Ludomo Lamati in Belfast.
He takes a real leap in class though here, as Dogboe (24-3, 15KOs) is a former WBO super bantamweight champion, and is coming off a world title fight in his most recent assignment. The man born in Ghana, based in Florida, and of British citizenship lost his belt in a pair of thrillers against Emanuel Navarrete in 2018 and 2019, and won four on the spin until being handily outscored by Robeisy Ramirez in Tulsa for the vacant WBO featherweight crown in April.
Prediction: This could well be a tough test for Ball, and he will need to overcome some early rocky moments. If he can pull through those, he can triumph on the scorecards after a gruelling twelve rounds.
Denzel Bentley (18-2-1, 15KOs) is always value for money, and the Londoner puts his British middleweight title up for grabs against massive ticket-seller Nathan Heaney (17-0, 6KOs). Bentley has bounced back well from being stopped by Feliz Cash in April 2021, and was spirited in a points defeat in a challenge for the WBO belt against Janibek Alimkhanuly in November last year.
He returned to defend the Lonsdale Belt in some style in April, knocking out Kieran Smith in 45 seconds. Heaney has been matched well, but is coming off a pair of wins against Jack Flatley, the last a clear points win in March.
Prediction: Bentley hits hard, and I feel Heaney may struggle to keep him off. The pick is for Bentley to retain before halfway.
Liam Davies (14-0, 6KOs) has had a stellar 18 months in the sport, and he defends his European super bantamweight title against Italy’s Vincenzo La Femina (13-0, 7KOs). Davies is fresh off a destructive first round stoppage of bitter rival Jason Cunningham, while La Femina enters as the EU champion. Davies can retain on the cards.
Ekow Essuman (19-0, 7KOs) is looking to move past domestic level, having held the British and Commonwealth welterweight titles since July 2021, and he has made four defences, as well as picking up fringe ranking belts along the way. He should notch another defence here against Harry Scarff (12-2, 3KOs), as well as defending his IBF European bauble, in a clear points win.
Nathaniel Collins (13-0, 7KOs) made an explosive debut under Queensberry Promotions in August 2022, wiping out Raza Hamza in 24 seconds, and he should defend his British and Commonwealth featherweight titles inside the distance against Zak Miller (13-0, 3KOs), who has never been past eight rounds.
There is world title action on the card, where Hannah Rankin (13-6, 3KOs) can become the new WBC and WBO super welterweight champion with a close points win against Ema Kozin (23-1-1, 12KOs) for the vacant title.
With the postponement of Antony Cacace v Ryan Garner, new Frank Warren signing Solomon Dacres (7-0, 2KOs) fills in, and can defend his English heavyweight title inside schedule against Michael Webster (9-0, 6KOs).
Six rounders complete this busy bill.
Callum Thompson (7-0, 1KO) should bank a points win at lightweight against Joshua Ocampo (8-19-5, 6KOs), and super lightweight prospect Amaar Akbar (5-0, 1KO) can do the same against Christian Lopez Flores (14-32-2, 12KOs).
