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Boxing
Liverpool's greatest fighters as Nick Ball prepares for latest world title defence in famous city
Ultimate Tier: PPVs & 185 fight nights included
Nick Ball returns to action on Saturday as he makes the fourth defence of his WBA featherweight title against Brandon Figueroa, live on DAZN.
The Liverpool man headlines a huge show at the M&S Bank Arena in his home city and is supported by a stacked undercard, including gym mate Andrew Cain in a WBC bantamweight title eliminator against Alejandro Gonzalez.
DAZN News looks at some of the best fighters to hail from Liverpool and the impact they made on boxing.
Queensberry PromotionsTony Bellew
Operating at world level in three different weight classes, Tony Bellew overcame several heartbreaks to finally end his career with everything he set out to achieve.
After falling short for world title glory at 175lbs against Nathan Cleverly and Adonis Stevenson, Bellew finally became world champion in 2016 when he won the WBC cruiserweight belt against Junior Makabu at his beloved Goodison Park.
For the next two years, Bellew would be involved in a bitter feud with David Haye, a series he won 2-0, before bowing out of the sport in 2018 following a loss to Oleksandr Usyk for all the marbles at cruiserweight.
Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Callum Smith
The youngest of the four fighting Smith brothers, Callum has brought many great nights home, as well as competing at the highest level abroad.
An outstanding amateur, Smith turned pro in 2012 and was a world champion for six years after he dominated George Groves to capture super-middleweight glory.
After losing to Canelo Alvarez in 2020, Smith would move to light-heavyweight where he fell short against the brilliant Artur Beterbiev in 2024 .
Smith responded well from that setback to defeat Joshua Buatsi in February 2025 . With another world title shot likely, this incredible story could add more successful chapters.
John Conteh
A darling of Merseyside boxing in his prime and long since his retirement, John Conteh was not just one of his city’s best boxers, he was also respected throughout the sport.
After stopping Chris Finnegan in 1974 in a memorable encounter, Conteh would push on towards world glory when he defeated Jorge Ahumada.
Conteh would eventually lose the crown to Mate Parlov four years later before travelling to America to partake in tow huge bouts, both losses, against Matthew Saad Muhammad.
Natasha Jonas
(Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
A role model for so many, Natasha Jonas’ incredible journey saw her make history at the 2012 Olympics before capturing world titles as a professional.
Despite a four-year break from the sport, Jonas came back when female boxing started to take off and her decision to return was justified.
Jonas would share the ring with the likes of Katie Taylor and Mikaela Mayer as she reached the top of the sport with several stunning displays.
After losing to Lauren Price at the start of 2025, it is unclear what Jonas’ next move is, but one thing that is certain is her legacy.
Liam Smith
Another Smith brother on the list is Liam. He reigned as light-middleweight world champion before running into the brilliant Canelo Alvarez.
Despite that setback, Smith still proved he was very much one of the world’s best fighters with numerous impressive displays.
With wins over leading names such as Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Williams, Smith has a solid record, and he can still add to that as he looks to pursue more huge opportunities.
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