Jason Ball made sure that Chris Eubank Jr won't forget his name in a hurry.
Managed in the Midlands by former pro Carl Greaves [pictured, centre, with his charge], the 28-year-old shrugged off four rounds of being out-boxed to have his much-touted opponent on shakey pins and in survival mode throughout the final six minutes.
Ball won the Central Area and British Masters light-middleweight straps with a seven-round smashing of Steve Harkin on a BoxNation show last month and his second appearance on television, on a Hennessy Sports-promoted, Channel 5-televised bill in Rotherham on Saturday night [February 18], painted the improving ex-MMA protagonist in an even greater light.
Naturally smaller - as said, he boxed at 11st less than a month ago - the Stefy Bull-trained Doncaster puncher never appeared bothered by the strength of Eubank and, when he managed to get close enough to let his hands go, the eldest son of the former two-weight world champion with the same name looked a trifle lost.
Pre-fight, i'd predicted that Ball would be a rough and tough handful for a one-fight novice whose debut consisted of him beating up an Eastern European import for four rounds without a punch in anger in reply. One thing you could have been certain on was that Ball, who was unbeaten in his last three [one draw] entering, was going to throw leather - and plenty of it.
Yet it looked like it was going to be an easier assignment than first thought in the opening three minutes, with the Brighton-based super-middleweight utilising a screw uppercut and sharp left lead to keep his opponent in check. The second followed in a similar vein - Ball being made to fall short before being punished with lefts.
I'd noted that Eubank, who lacks the explosiveness of his enigmatic father, was yet to use his right and that his over-exertions, of both foot and fist, could prove dangerous against a fit and willing foe like Ball [11st 9lb 2oz], who'd completed two six-threes previously and went seven rounds last time out.
Three and four followed the same pattern as the previous six minutes, with the patient, calm 22-year-old Ronnie Davies-trained stylist digging the body with the left before exploding a series of quick-handed hooks upstairs.
Yet there was some debate on press row about whether or not Eubank [11st 8lbs 4oz] had a pre-fight hand injury or was just trying to dominate a willing opponent exclusively with his left for the sake of ego. The desperate actions of an exhausted one-armed fighter in the fifth round answered that question.
Jason felt the strength of the always-moving Sussex man drain and a right hand briefly rattled Eubank, whose wooden-legged stumble illustrated just how exhausted he was. Encouraged by the shouts of his corner, Ball bit down on his gumshield, plowed forward and unleashed a volley of punches at an opponent who was now in unknown territory and in trouble.
The final round saw much of the same - Chris' attacks were rare and wild; the South Yorkshireman confidently boxed on the front foot and nailed his tired foe with bursts of two-handed blows as he desperately covered on the ropes. Though Eubank's hand was lofted skywards at the final bell, 58-56 for Howard Foster [which matched my card], Ball probably came out with more credit.
A shocked Eubank, now unbeaten in two [one inside], later revealed he'd injured his right hand sparring a heavyweight a week before but he won't forget Jason Ball, now with five wins [four quickly] and a draw on a 12-fight pro ledger that has seen him box nine unbeaten men, for a very long time.
And there was another points defeat for a Carl Greaves-managed fighter on the Magna undercard. Nottinghamshire-based Simeon Cover [14st 11lbs 10oz] conceded a 40-36 nod from referee Michael Alexander against Sheffield's Karl Bell [13st 13lbs 12oz], who outpointed the former British Masters super-middleweight champion on his debut last year, in a four-threes that went on just before the main event.
Cover, in paid outing 65, fully-utilises the awkwardness picked up from years spent with the Ingles and though knocked off-balance in the opening stanza, the 33-year-old Worksop veteran never looked like being put away early. Tall Bell, now 2-0 and with John Ingle in his corner, slotted in some nice punches but the tendency to slap with hooks marred a solid showing.
Image courtesy of Andrew Millwall.
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