Raymond Ford recovered from a sluggish start in style, scoring a dramatic last-gasp knockout over Otabek Kholmatov to win the vacant WBA featherweight gold last Saturday. Footage released post-fight showed him talking with his promoter Eddie Hearn, all but confirming a world title unification bout against Nick Ball – provided the Scouser succeeds in a career-best challenge Friday.
Ford finds a way, now Ball’s got to be brilliant too
CAN you give us one more? Ford remains unbeaten as a pro (15-0-1, 8 KOs) after a gritty win away vs. Kholmatov with ESPN marvelling at his rally to produce a definitive finish in the dying embers, becoming a world champion on his first try.
The 24-year-old southpaw, ending an 11-month hiatus for his maiden world title shot, spoke afterwards about struggling with the weight cut and reaffirmed a desire to move into the 130lb ranks after their thrilling encounter had a fitting crescendo.
He trailed on two of the three judges’ scorecards heading into round 12, where Kholmatov was doing enough to edge it on output before the final half-minute: Ford rocked him badly, referee Charlie Fitch deemed the sequence a slip rather than knockdown but that only served as a prelude to what would follow.
Kholmatov could barely stand unaided and was awkwardly held up by the ropes as he looked to survive an onslaught with his back turned, though the unsettling visual wouldn’t last long before the 23-year veteran duly stepped in between them.
On a night where featherweights took centre stage in New York as Michael Conlan’s conqueror Luis Alberto Lopez stopped Reiya Abe, this was a nip-and-tuck affair despite the Uzbek gaining an early lead on the scorecards.
Middle rounds proved pivotal for the New Jersey native, whose intensity and accuracy improved as he found a rhythm before you heard both corners emotively encouraging their charge to step on the accelerator.
Ford said he felt the tide turning and so it proved, against a worthy adversary in Kholmatov who brought the best out of him and will feel nauseous knowing he was just seconds from changing his life forever with more defensive discipline.
The thrill and agony in such high-stakes encounters never gets old, nor the clamour surrounding where the victor goes from here.
Ford namechecked all the existing champions at 130lbs, aware he’d be first in line for a shot to face a friendly face in new WBA titleholder Lamont Roach Jnr after his calculated success over former Gervonta Davis opponent Hector Luis Garcia.
Yet an opportunity to represent Matchroom on the Saudi’s Matchroom-Queensberry 5v5 card come June 1, as well as the riches and increased exposure that would bring, speaks volumes. You’d be foolish not to reconsider, in his burgeoning position.
Chomping at the bit
Whether he’ll be fully healed and ready to go again in just under three months’ time is unclear, though Liverpool’s Nick Ball would serve as a fascinating adversary given his speed, boxing nous and the wicked power that belies a 5ft2in frame.
Two-weight world champion Rey Vargas stands in the way of that prospective showdown, and unlike Ball’s last opponent Isaac Dogboe, presumably has more juice in the tank to match a hungry contender as the pre-fight favourite.
Despite having his 36-0 unbeaten streak ended by O’Shaquie Foster last February as he looked to become a three-weight titleholder, the former super-bantamweight ends a 13-month stretch of inactivity to make his first featherweight title defence.
Having edged past Mark Magsayo via split decision in July 2022 to win it outright, the 33-year-old will hope his vast world-level knowhow pays dividends against an in-form quantity largely untested at the very top. There’s only one way to find out, mind.
Knockout Chaos card in full, is as follows
12 rounds unless stated
Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou, 10 rounds
Zhilei Zhang (c) vs. Joseph Parker for WBO interim world heavyweight title
Rey Vargas (c) vs. Nick Ball for WBC world featherweight title
Israil Madrimov vs. Magomed Kurbanov for vacant WBA world light-middleweight title
Lightweight: Mark Chamberlain vs. Gavin Gwynne
10 rounds
Heavy: Justis Huni vs. Kevin Lerena
Light-middle: Jack McGann vs. Louis Greene
8 rounds: Andrii Novytskyi vs. Juan Torres
6 rounds: Ziyad Almaayouf vs. Christian Lopez Flores, light-welterweight
4 rounds: Roman Fury vs. Martin Svarc at heavyweight
First two pictures via Mikey Williams / Top Rank, rest from Getty
Mo and Sports 