Liverpool’s Nick Ball, one of the most consistently active as well as one of the most consistently exciting fighters out there today, will make the second defense of his WBA featherweight title on March 25th when he will face former IBF super-bantamweight champ TJ Doheny, the fight to take place at The Echo Arena in Ball’s home town.
Fans will recall the last time they saw 38-year-old Doheny in action when the gutsy Irishman was stopped in painful fashion by “Monster” Naoya Inoue in September. Inoue literally hit Doheny so hard to the midsection that the force damaged the beaten fighter’s back.
Now, some fans will be asking how Doheny gets rewarded for losing a 122-pound world title shot by getting a shot at a 126-pound belt in his very next fight. Certainly, as good as he is, Ball could perhaps have taken a stiffer test in March, a more meaningful fight. We fans who love seeing Ball rumble want to see him get unification fights at 126 pounds. Maybe these will come later next year. For sure, Doheny doesn’t figure to derail Ball.
Ball, approaching his prime at age 27, seems to have just about every possible advantage against Doheny, 26-5(20). Ball is way younger, he is the natural featherweight, he is fighting at home, and Ball’s style of setting a ridiculous pace looks set to be too much for the older man. Also, Doheny, a southpaw, will be returning to action after the Inoue mauling without the aid of a tune-up. This one looks like being a Nick Ball showcase.
Look for Ball to come right out of the blocks, throwing venomous punches in bunches as he always does. Doheny could prove the doubters wrong, but the thinking here is the veteran will not be able to cope with Ball’s blend of speed, non-stop punching, and sheer, aggressive tendencies.
Thus far in his pro career, only Inoue has managed to stop Doheny. This may well change come March 25th.
