CHRIS FARINA / CHAMPIONING MENTAL HEALTHJulius Ballo doesn’t need boxing for the money or to improve his life circumstances. He just loves the feeling of winning.
Ballo will face Roman Reyes on Saturday in a bout contested at a 129lbs catchweight at the Frontwave Arena, Oceanside, California. The bout will stream in North America through Integrated Sports Media on major cable outlets and digital platforms including PPV.com, TrillerTV and Fubo.
Ballo aims to compete for a world title in the featherweight division.
Ballo, 2-0, isn’t your traditional boxer. Ballo lives in San Diego, California, and his family is financially well off. He defies common boxing tropes as someone looking to make a fortune in a tough business. All the sacrifices he makes for the sport are his choice.
“I don’t have to do this,” Ballo, 22, told BoxingScene. “I drive a quarter-million-dollar car, and live in a multi-million-dollar house. I don’t have to do this sport. I do it because I love it, and I am addicted to that winning feeling.”
Ballo will serve as a co-promoter, and not just fight on the card. He will co-promote an event for the second time with his father, Yasir “Jack” Ballo, and his cousin, Jonny Mansour. Saturday will mark the first time Ballo fights on a card he helped promote.
In their first effort, they sold out Sycuan Resort & Casino in El Cajon, California. For this fight, they aim to sell 5,000 tickets, and have already sold 2,000. Ballo, along with his cousin, Mansour, has invested heavily in social media; the two have a little over 800k followers. It is a combination of an online presence, amateur accomplishments, and support from friends and family that has driven the promotion’s sales.
“The decision to [promote the show] was having the ability to do it,” Ballo said. “We are taking a risk, but it is a calculated risk.”
For this fight, Ballo will face Reyes, 6-1 (5 KOs). Reyes’ only career loss came to up-and-coming U.S. prospect Troy Nash Jnr in May 2024. Reyes, of Greenville, South Carolina, knocked out Matias Agustin Arriagada last year in a hometown fight.
“He is not a pushover,” Ballo said. “I am really trying to go in there and show there are levels to this.”
Ballo isn’t setting expectations for his career after this fight or at the end of the year. He is focused on improvement and standing out for quality, not quantity.
“My goal is to look sharper and sharper after every fight and every round,” Ballo said. “Anyone can fight five fights a year, but at the end of the day, you could fight once or twice a year, and you make a statement about how you fight. That all makes a big difference.”
