A rollercoaster ride for Jamie Ball

The recent festive season proved to be a rollercoaster ride for Coseley's Jamie Ball that has left him with a real New Year's resolution.

On the Monday of Christmas week, the unbeaten 26-year-old got his long-awaited shot at the vacant Midlands light middleweight title at Birmingham's Holiday Inn, having nearly had to pull of the fight days before with the flu.

Kieron Gray was the man stood in his way in what would be the Telford co-challenger's last time in the ring – win, lose or draw.

The two went toe-to-toe over 10 rounds in a compelling title fight where, after a controversial knockdown scored against Ball in the last session, neither man would win or lose. It was the second time in two years a battle for the same belt had failed to produce a winner.

Ball's dream of the area crown as a Christmas present had not come to pass and he cut a glum figure over the turkey and trimmings but, nonetheless, decided to see out the year in the usual way with a night out.

Then, with hours of 2010 left, his manager Paul 'PJ' Rowson was on the phone - he would get a second shot at the belt, this time against Newark's Andrew Lowe at Walsall Town Hall on February 26.

And, suddenly, life didn't seem quite so bad.

Ball said: "Not winning the belt first time round had ruined my Christmas, I had put so much into it and I was disappointed with myself at getting a draw but, if I had lost, I would have been even worse!

"Becoming the Midlands champion was the only present I wanted."

With a goal to shoot at, it was straight back into the gym after the New Year's festivities, as reality dawned in that Ball would have to be at his best to beat a fighter who has been in for a area belt before and has only ever been stopped once.

Unfortunately for Lowe, his shot at the Midlands welterweight title ended in his one defeat inside the distance, to Telford's Mark Lloyd in eight rounds at Wolverhampton Civic Hall in June 2008.

However, the 30-year-old has also been beaten twice on points and Ball feels confident, having gone 10 rounds in December at "75 to 80 per cent," of upping the fight to a pace his opponent won't be able to match.

He said: "If you look at our records there is not much to split between us, he's got to go out and prove himself and I have got to prove myself. But, having done the 10 rounds now, I know I have got an extra few gears to pick up on.

"He's a half decent boxer and I am not going to take anything for granted, I am going to go in there thinking he has trained just as hard as me and do what I have got to do.

"But, hopefully, I should be too big and strong for him."

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