The opening round, which perfectly set the tone, was an entertaining one. Figueroa, 29, pawed at Ball with his southpaw jab but the champion was having none of it. He bullishly pushed forwards and fired in a left uppercut that buckled the legs of the travelling Texan. Figueroa responded by trying to smother Ball, but he was shrugged him off and planted a right hand upstairs. Ball, also 29, was countering well, and in the second landed another right hand over the top of Figueroa’s jab. The American, however, didn’t seem too concerned with Ball’s power and continued to push the pace, firing a left hand to the body.
