WBA featherweight champion Raymond Ford weighed in at 125.4 lbs, while challenger Nick Ball weighed in at 125.8 lbs for Friday's weigh-in for Saturday's '5 vs. 5' Queensberry vs. Matchroom event in Riyadh.
Ford (15-0-1, 8 KOs) and Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs) started to watch, threatening each other as they faced each other, but neither could stay in position, and both started. smiling and laughing before turning away to face the media.
It will be an interesting fight because Ford is coming off a tough match against Otabek Kholmatov last March in Verona, New York, and this one against Bhola could be even tougher.
Ford looked very tired today from making weight, and we'll see if he gets something out of him on Saturday. The 25-year-old Ford had planned to move up to 130 to make life easier for himself, but chose to stay at 126 for this fight against the 5'2″ Ball, who looked huge in the ring.
Promoter Eddie Hearn talked about seeing Ball's weight on the scale, and says “he was a big lump.” The front weight is the true measurement. If they go public, they are going to do events for you. Football will be big on Saturday night. These two could face off as light welterweights tomorrow night.
Hearn's High Praise for Both Fighters
“You have Raymond Ford vs. Nick Ball, which, to me, is one of the two best featherweights in the world,” said promoter Eddie Hearn speaking to TNT Sports Boxing 5 vs. 5 Weigh in, Queensberry vs. Matchroom.
“Don't forget; I'm sure people know there's a former, and that's the scale of the festival. You get numbers on the scale that guys measure now, and Nick Ball is a big bump. He was brought back to the water sweet and delicious. But Ray is very good.”
Ford says he will fight whatever Ball chooses to fight. If that's true, this could be a close fight because Ball likes to fight like that. It's questionable if Ford can win that kind of battle because he's not as big an inside fighter as Ball.
“You're talking about Shakur and Devin. “He comes from that kind of mold, but Nick is a help to anyone,” said Hearn.
“I am having fun there. “I'm coming in dominating and taking the fight from the first round until the end,” said Raymond Ford.
In Ford's last fight, he was losing to Kholmatov until he pulled off a surprise in the twelfth round. He didn't look good until he hit a layup, and that was against an injured knee. If Kholmatov's knee hadn't messed up, he would have won.
“No, I didn't like their energy, but tomorrow and all these other things, walking around and doing tough things and saying whatever they say in the interviews, that's not going to matter,” Ford said when asked if Ball has been getting under his skin this week.
“The important thing is the future. That's where we're going to really get into that. I'm happy,” said Ford.
“I'm ready to go now,” said Nick Ball, who had very little to say.
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