Undefeated WBA Featherweight World Champion Nick Ball (22-0-1, 13 KO) was reportedly set to clash with former Naoya Inoue rival Luis Nery (36-2, 28 KO) on August 16th, 2025. This highly anticipated bout, initially reported by Franco Zorzini, was expected to take place on the undercard of a potential showdown between American rivals Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, the proposed main event between Haney and Lopez ultimately collapsed due to contract issues. Consequently, the planned featherweight title defense between Ball and Nery did not materialize on that date.
Instead, on August 16, 2025, Nick Ball successfully made his third defense of the WBA featherweight title against Australian challenger Sam Goodman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, securing a unanimous decision victory. This victory further solidified Ball’s standing in the division, but his reign would face its ultimate test in early 2026.
Nick Ball’s Rise and WBA Featherweight Reign
The unbeaten Liverpudlian, known for his relentless, aggressive “Wrecking Ball” style, captured the WBA featherweight title in June 2024 with a hard-fought split decision win over American Raymond Ford in Saudi Arabia. This triumph was part of a significant night where five Queensberry fighters dominated their Matchroom opponents, seizing promotional bragging rights. Ball had previously fought to a split draw against WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas in March 2024, showcasing his world-level capabilities even before winning the WBA strap.
Following his title acquisition, Ball successfully defended his crown twice on home soil in Liverpool. His first defense came via a tenth-round stoppage of seasoned American Ronny Rios in October 2024, after Rios’ corner threw in the towel. This was followed by a win over Irish-born Australian TJ Doheny in March 2025, who retired in the tenth round due to a back injury. These victories extended Ball’s undefeated record and demonstrated his ability to finish opponents, bringing his professional record to 23 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw, with 13 knockouts, before his encounter with Sam Goodman.
Luis Nery: A Formidable Force and History-Maker
Luis Nery is a formidable force in the boxing world, boasting a professional record of 37 wins, 2 losses, and 0 draws, with 28 of his victories coming by knockout. Both of his career defeats have come at the hands of elite-level opponents. Having previously campaigned at bantamweight and super-bantamweight, Nery is a two-weight world champion, having held the WBC and Ring bantamweight titles, and the WBC super-bantamweight title.
Nery faced arguably the toughest test of his career in May 2024, stepping into the ring with ‘The Monster’ Naoya Inoue in a high-stakes undisputed super-bantamweight title clash at the Tokyo Dome. Despite suffering a sixth-round stoppage defeat at the hands of one of boxing’s biggest stars, Nery made history by becoming the first man to drop the pound-for-pound great when he landed a hook to Inoue’s jaw in the very first round. Inoue, however, recovered remarkably, dropping Nery in the second and fifth rounds before securing a third and final knockdown in the sixth round to end the fight.
The 30-year-old Mexican rebounded from the loss to Inoue with a seventh-round stoppage victory over Japanese featherweight Kyonosuke Kameda in Tijuana, Mexico, on February 22, 2025. This marked Nery’s second outing at featherweight as he looked to claim world championship gold for a third time. He followed this up with another win on October 26, 2025, defeating Sathaporn Saart by technical decision in the eighth round in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Nery is currently scheduled to face John Riel Casimero on June 6, 2026, in Tokoname, Japan.
The Aftermath: Ball’s Title Loss and Divisional Implications
While the highly anticipated clash between Nick Ball and Luis Nery did not take place on August 16, 2025, both fighters continued their respective careers with significant developments. Ball’s victory over Sam Goodman on that date was a unanimous decision, with judges scoring it 113-115, 110-118, and 111-117 in his favor. This win was promoted as his toughest challenge to date, but Ball overwhelmed the previously undefeated Goodman to retain his belt.
However, Ball’s impressive WBA featherweight reign came to an end on February 7, 2026. In his fourth title defense, the Liverpudlian faced former two-division world champion Brandon Figueroa at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England. Figueroa proved to be Ball’s biggest test, physically and figuratively. Despite Ball’s customary aggressive style, Figueroa delivered a powerful performance, stopping Ball in the 12th round via technical knockout and claiming the WBA featherweight title. This marked the first professional loss for Nick Ball, bringing his record to 23 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw.
The featherweight division remains a hotbed of talent, and Ball’s loss to Figueroa has reshaped the landscape. A victory for Nick Ball against a fighter of Nery’s caliber would have undoubtedly propelled him closer to a potential future showdown with Naoya Inoue, placing him among the growing list of challengers eager to dethrone ‘The Monster’. While that specific path has been altered, Ball, at 29 years old, is still a top contender, currently ranked 7th by the WBA and 2nd by the WBC at featherweight. His aggressive style ensures he will remain a compelling figure in the division, and a rematch with Figueroa or other significant bouts are likely on his horizon as he looks to reclaim world championship status. Luis Nery, meanwhile, continues his pursuit of a third world title, with his upcoming fight against John Riel Casimero being a crucial step in his featherweight campaign.
