PROMOTER Frank Warren has revealed that an announcement on Nick Ball’s next fight is imminent, with talks already underway for a potential blockbuster clash against Naoya Inoue later this year or in early 2026.
Ball, 22-0-1 (13 KOs), successfully defended his WBA featherweight title for the second time in March, outworking veteran TJ Doheny in a fiery contest. After a tempestuous build-up, the fight turned tetchy at times and threatened to boil over. Ball’s relentless pressure accumulated damage, forcing Doheny’s corner to withdraw their fighter after round 10.
Speaking to Boxing News after the final press conference for Leigh Wood and Anthony Cacace’s bout on Saturday, Warren discussed Ball’s future and Inoue’s latest triumph – a thrilling eighth-round TKO against Ramon Cardenas – to defend his undisputed super-bantamweight crown, despite being floored in round two.
“I like Nick in the fight [against Inoue],” Warren said. “Inoue, I’m a massive, massive fan. Guys get caught. It’s when they get up and win. That’s fighters who can take a punch when you can get off the floor and come back. He’s a quality, quality fighter.”
Warren confirmed that preliminary discussions with Inoue’s team have taken place, with the Japanese star potentially moving up to a fifth weight class for the bout. “They’re up for it,” Warren said of Team Inoue. “As I say, they gotta win their respective fights, come through those, and I’m sure we’ll get it done.”
Ball’s immediate focus, however, is his next challenge. “We’re announcing a big fight [for Nick] in a couple of weeks’ time,” Warren revealed. “We get that done, Nick’s got to win, and he’s going to have another fight. Then, hopefully, we get him [and Inoue] on at the end of the year or February in what I believe will be a super-fight.”
