Wednesday 13 December 2017 20:34, UK
Jake Ball completed a unanimous points victory over Miles Shinkwin as he continued his rise up the light-heavyweight rankings.
The 25-year-old Surrey man has rebuilt after a shock defeat to JJ McDonagh and he claimed a career-best win over Shinkwin with a disciplined display to earn victory with scores of 97-93, 98-92 and 98-92 at York Hall.
In a tentative opening round, Shinkwin took the centre of the ring and sent out range-finding right hands as Ball adopted a watchful approach on the back foot.
Ball backed to the ropes in the second round, trying to lure Shinkwin onto crisp counters, and 'The Blade' stabbed jabs through his opponent's defences in the third.
The cleaner, eye-catching work was coming from Ball, who switched neatly from head to body in the fourth, and he unloaded flurries before slipping away from the flat-footed Shinkwin in the fifth.
With the fight slipping away, Shinkwin landed a crisp right hand as he showed more urgency in the sixth, but there were only brief moments of concern for Ball as he picked holes in the Hertfordshire fighter's guard over the next couple of rounds.
Ball maintained his steely focus in the ninth round, despite the likelihood of a handy lead on the scorecards, and he highlighted his dominance with more crunching counters in the final few minutes.
