Inconclusive end to battle of unbeaten Midlanders

In the last significant clash pitting Birmingham against the Black Country, a cut prematurely ended what was set to be a fascinating encounter.

That was when Wayne Elcock controversially retained his British middleweight title with a two-round injury stoppage over Dudley's Darren McDermott at Wolverhampton Civic Hall in 2008. McDermott insisted he could have continued.

And four years on, in the main event on Dave Coldwell's excellent-value bill at Birmingham's New Bingley Hall last night, a similar incident happened again.

This time, though, it was a meeting between Coseley southpaw Jamie Ball and Second City stylist Nasser Al Harbi [pictured at the weigh-in on Thursday, with promoter Coldwell in the centre] with the right to challenge Erik Ochieng for the English 11st title as the prize awaiting the victor.

Yet neither man left with a defeat etched onto their ledger as a cut on the side of Al Harbi's right eye brought an end to the bout at 1-36 of the fourth. Under the British Boxing Board of Control's recently-revised rules, the contest would have been have won by Ball had the referee deemed the injury was inflicted by a punch.

But referee Terry O'Connor decided the wound had arrived by the head of Ball and not his fist, meaning that, as four rounds had not been completed, a Technical Draw was announced. Al Harbi insisted he could have carried on and his opponent adamant that a left had opened up the wound.

In truth, my view was obscured by a board official and i can't comment on the exact truth of the matter. But Ball, by all accounts, had a nasty-looking swelling on his head afterwards and the answer to the question of whether or not it was a glove or a skull that did the damage may lie there.

But what i will say, however, is that i thought that the corner, led by Al Harbi's dad Naji, should have been allowed the chance to work on that cut at the end of the fourth. From where i was sitting - as close to the ring as can be without actually being in it - it looked as if the blood was trickling away from his eye.

Anyway, the inconclusive nature of the ending means that neither man is any further along the road than they were prior to a hotly-anticipated ten-rounder between a brace of young, unbeaten and hungry fighters who were eager to make a charge onto the domestic light-middleweight scene.

It had been shaping up nicely at the time, too. Ball, the Midlands Area 11st champion, edged the opening round for me with lefts to the body and then Al Harbi, 22 and a former WBC Asia Council Continental champion, used his silky skills and feet to glide in and out of range to score with sharp hooks in the following session.

Neatly-threaded right uppercuts from Nasser, now 13-0-1 (1) and who shocked many by trading with a taller fighter who was perceived, pre-fight, as being the stronger, handed him the third on my card and matters seemed to be about even when the laceration next to the Brummie's eye opened up just over half-way through the fourth.

Shaun Cooper-trained Ball's record now reads 13-0-2 (4) - the other draw being with Kieron Gray for the vacant Area title in 2010 - and the 27-year-old's promoter, Black Country-based Paul Rowson, was also of the opinion that a punch from Jamie's black gloves did the damage.

But there's only one way to settle this debate - a rematch. After an ending like that, it would be welcomed by everyone who made their way to the Hockley venue.

For the record, Ball weighed 10st 13 1/2lbs; Al Harbi 10st 11lbs 2oz.