AS the only male world champion on British shores, Nick Ball is forced to contend with a level of expectation which, perhaps unsurprisingly, has made not even the slightest difference to his preparation.
It is, after all, a tried and trusted formula that has seen the ‘Wrecking’ Ball solidify himself as, quite possibly, this country’s most ferocious operator.
But of course, his ascent to the top of the tree was not completed without a few snappy branches along the way.
Most notably, the 28-year-old found himself on the end of a highly-contentious draw where, despite flooring his man twice, he was denied victory against WBC world featherweight champion Rey Vargas.
While refusing to take his eye off the ball – pardon the pun – Ball, 22-0-1 (13 KOs), then entered a 50/50 clash with Raymond Ford and, this time around, was able to topple the champion with a tightly-contested split decision victory.
That moment, however, was something which the Liverpudlian had always anticipated, and the pride that came with his WBA championship glory, especially now that he has emerged as the UK’s flagship fighter, has remained consistent.
“It’s a good feeling,” Ball told Boxing News. “I always knew that I would become a world champion – I always worked for it – so it was just a matter of getting that opportunity.
“But it feels good to be the only [male world champion] in Britain.”
Ball’s success can, in part, be explained by his ruthless obsession with training, both in and out of camp, which has only been elevated through his passion for CrossFit.
When he is not gearing up for a showdown in the ring, the tenacious athlete will typically find himself in the thick of a CrossFit competition, or an equally demanding environment, where his competitive spirit is put to the test.
But that, he says, is what gives him an edge over certain fighters. The fact that he has integrated elements of CrossFit into his boxing training, too, has seemingly made a sizable difference.
He said: “It’s a lifestyle, isn’t it? It’s not just about the camp – and training for six, eight or 12 weeks – it’s about being a professional all year round.
“So it helps you massively [to stay in shape], and that preparation always just leads onto the next [camp], because it’s never over.
“You’re going to have a fight, and then end up going straight into another fight, so it’s good to stay on it.
“At Peak Performance [his strength and conditioning gym], it’s a CrossFit gym, but all the training that we do is programmed in a way that’s specific to fighting.
“Everyone’s got different things that they like doing, but that style of training is perfect for me.”
Sure enough, the explosive movements associated with CrossFit have only contributed to Ball’s high-octane style through the ropes.
At the same time, though, every facet of his training camp, including his work under the tutelage of head coach Paul Stevenson, is structured around an intensely holistic approach to his craft.
This is because Ball, like many other fighters, chooses not to watch any tape of his opponents but, instead, prepare himself for every possible outcome.
In doing so, the Northerner has largely ignored the attributes of Sam Goodman, his next opponent, and focused more on refining his own physical advantages.
“Yeh, because it’s real,” Ball replied, when asked whether he likes to wait until fight night to form his approach.
“You don’t know what’s going to happen until the bell goes – no one does – and that’s the honest answer.
“You can prepare just enough to have an idea, but then everything can change [on the night]. So you’ve got to be prepared for anything – covering all angles – and that’s what we do.”
Ball will make a third defence of his WBA world title next Saturday, when he and Goodman, 20-0 (8 KOs), square off on the undercard of Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The dynamic puncher has, of course, done plenty of burpees and squats to develop his overall fitness but, from a psychological perspective, too, he finds himself in a particularly strong position.
“I definitely get nervous [before a fight], but it’s like I’m nervous to do well,” he admitted. “You’re going out there in front of thousands of people, including your friends and family, so it’s normal to get nervous.
“But it’s about what you do with those nerves, and whether you let them take control of you.
“As fighters, and as people that can handle the pressure, we use those nerves to the best of our ability. Well, that’s what I do anyway. The key is to not panic when you get nervous.”
