I WON'T THROW IN THE TROWEL

From plaster to master blaster, Ball hopes hod is on his side in title fight

- CHRIS MCKENNA

FROM plastering with his dad to the pinnacle of the featherweight division, Nick Ball is hoping this time he gets a smooth ride with the judges.

The Liverpool puncher takes on WBA champion Ray Ford this weekend in Saudi Arabia (squaring up, above).

The second shot at a world title comes just a few months after he was harshly denied in his first crack against WBC champion Rey Vargas in the same venue. That ended in a controversial draw.

But Ball, 27, is tough enough to deal with the disappointment and use it as fuel to ensure he's not left empty-handed again when he faces the much-fancied unbeaten American.

He's never been a hugelyhyped name and he had to build his reputation slowly on small-hall shows and undercards. Now he's fighting on the grand stage in Saudi. He puts it down to a hard-work ethic, something he picked up from dad Stan.