Nick Ball vs Isaac Dogboe – Results & Post Fight Report

The Manchester Arena hosted the first Frank Warren promoted Magnificent Seven show for a fair few years, and in the bill topper, Nick Ball took an eliminator for the WBC featherweight title by clearly outscoring Isaac Dogboe over twelve rounds.

Ball came into this one with nowhere near the level of world championship experience as his opponent, but was coming off a run of five straight inside schedule wins, the last a final round stoppage of Ludumo Lamati in defence of his WBC Silver title in May. Dogboe has served as WBO champion at super bantamweight in 2018, and was last seen in April, dropped in the final round on the way to a wide points loss to Robeisy Ramirez in a bid for the vacant WBO featherweight crown.

Ball (19-0, KO11) started at a fast pace, but was rocked by a Dogboe (24-4, KO15) attack in the second round that got his attention. The third saw Ball lucky not to be adjudged to be knocked down, but that proved a wake-up call, as Ball contentiously scored a knockdown with a left hook followed by a forearm. Ball took over from thereon, as his work rate forced Dogboe’s corner to have to motivate their man ahead of the eighth round, and a counter left hand buckled Ball’s knees in the ninth, but he weathered the storm, and bossed the championship rounds in the main as the contest went to the final bell.

Scores of 119-108, 118-109 and 116-112 took Ball a step closer to a dream world title shot.

Nathan Heaney (18-0, KO6) took a career best win on the card, as he became the new British middleweight champion with a majority decision win against Denzel Bentley (18-3-1, KO15). The Stoke native, backed by a healthy crowd as always, prevailed by scores of 117-111 and 116-113, with the third card a 114-114 draw.

Liam Davies (15-0, KO7) retained his European super bantamweight title in a shootout with Vincenzo La Femina (13-1, KO7), taking a win in the fifth round. Davies floored the Italian in round three, but was then decker himself before making the visitor hit the canvas in round four. A frenzied two-fisted assault on the fifth saw the referee call a halt to proceedings.

Harry Scarff (13-2, KO3) upset the odds, and became the new British, Commonwealth and IBF European champion with a unanimous decision victory against Ekow Essuman (19-1, KO7). Scarff took the belts by scores of 117-112, 116-113, and 115-113.

Hannah Rankin (13-7, KO3) suffered heartache in her bid for the vacant WBC and WBO super welterweight titles, as Ema Kozin (24-1-1, KO12) took a split decision win in their meeting. The Slovenian took the win by scores of 96-94 and a too wide 98-92, while a third judge tallied 96-94 for Rankin.

Nathaniel Collins (14-0, KO7) began the title action on the night, and the Scot, who needed just 24 seconds to win on his Queensberry debut, had to go the distance as he defended his British and Commonwealth featherweight titles with a majority decision win against Zak Miller (13-1, KO3). After an even first four rounds, Collins took over, pouring the pressure on Miller, and he had the better of the action in the main, but Miller was spirited ,and a 114-114 card was overruled by two in favour of Collins at 115-113.

Solomon Dacres (8-0, KO2) made a Queensbury debut, but struggled past Michael Webster (9-1, KO6) in a majority decision win to defend his English heavyweight title. A score of 95-95 was trumped by scores of 96-94 and 96-93 for Dacres.

Batley super lightweight Amaar Akbar (6-0, KO1) brought sizeable support with him to Manchester, and he banked a six round points win against Christian Lopez Flores (14-3-2, KO12).

Callum Thompson (8-0, KO1) opened the evening’s proceedings, and the lightweight won every round of six at lightweight against Joshua Ocampo (8-20-5, KO6).