“To be honest, I think I got a little bit carried away with the crowd – how good it was. I got hit with a few too many shots,” said Ball, whose past two fights took place in Saudi Arabia.
The arena was at limited capacity with most of the top tier closed off, but those in attendance gave ‘Wrecking Ball’ a rapturous hero’s welcome on his ring walk.
Ball made his debut in a Liverpool night club in 2017 but had not fought in the city for more than four years. He darted to the ring rather than allowing himself time to savour the moment.
At just 5ft 3in, what pressure-fighter Ball lacks in height he makes up with a relenting style, which was clear from the off.
He outmuscled Rios, with the challenger covering up as left and right hooks landed on the temple and snappy uppercuts snuck through the high guard.
The Californian was standing up to the attack and drew blood from Ball’s nose in the second, but the intensity and power punches from the home fighter continued as he dropped Rios with a short left hook in the third.
A seasoned campaigner, Rios made his debut in 2008 but was competing for just the second time in two years.
He edged back into the contest with a right hook in the fifth as Ball – hampered by his nose, with his torso and shorts reddened – showed signs of slowing down.
Rios complained of a knockdown in the seventh after he went down easily as Ball threw a left hook.
A round later, however, there were no complaints after another Ball onslaught. Rios rose to his feet and with the referee considering whether the fight should continue, the towel was thrown.