Nick Ball edged closer to a dream clash with Naoya Inoue after making a second defence of his WBA featherweight title at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, with a 10th round retirement win over TJ Doheny on Saturday.
Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) won the title last June with a split decision win against Raymond Ford, and his first defence saw him score a 10th round stoppage victory over Ronny Rios. Doheny (26-6, 20 KOs) was last in action last September, where the phenomenal Inoue took a seventh round win in a meeting for the Japanese’s undisputed super bantamweight crown.
Former super bantamweight world champion, Doheny boxed well in the opening round as the home favourite tried to find his range, but right on the bell, the pair tangled, and with Ball in a headlock, he aimed a kick at his opponent, with both admonished by the referee at the start of round two.
The visitor was frustrating Ball with his movement and taunting, but the champion upped the pace in the third that allowed him to close the gap and connect with more of his punches.
Round six saw Ball make a breakthrough, with a couple of right hands shaking Doheny, and he looked to be tiring.
The Irishman continued to battle, but was taking a lot more punches, and his right eye was showing swelling, but Ball was docked a point in the ninth for using excessive force in his attacks.
The 28-year-old’s body attacks in the same round troubled the challenger, who was starting to fade, and the end was swift in coming in the next frame, as Ball jumped on Doheny from the off, unloading several sustained unanswered shots that somehow the 38-year-old survived, and he saw out the round under heavy fire.
He would eventually be removed from battle in between rounds, in what was a wise decision.
Ball remains on course for a future fight with Inoue, should the Japanese star move up to featherweight.
Cain edges past Edwards
On the undercard, in a drab contest that never caught fire, Andrew Cain defend his British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles, and added the vacant WBC Silver belt against former WBC flyweight champion, Charlie Edwards via split decision.
It was a classic boxer vs puncher affair, with Cain (14-1, 12 KOs) struggling to pin his man down, and Edwards (20-2, 7 KOs) using frequent movement.
The fight was difficult to score and tallies of 116-112 and 115-114 for Cain secured him the belts, against a third score of 115-113 for Edwards.
Herrera halts Enriquez
Jadier Herrera, the highly-touted Cuban, defended his WBA Intercontinental lightweight title against Mexico’s Jose Macias Enriquez (21-4-2, 8 KOs) with a seventh round stoppage.
Herrera (17-0, 15 KOs) was kept honest by his opponent, but a sustained attack in round seven led to the referee’s intervention.
Just a class above 🇨🇺✨
Jadier Herrera gets the stoppage against Jose Macias Enriquez! #BallDoheny
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/htdZARq7fq
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) March 15, 2025
Baluta sees off Strand
Ionut Baluta yet again proved to be a tough proposition for British opposition, and he took another upset win, claiming the vacant WBO European super bantamweight title with a split decision win against Brad Strand.
Strand (12-2, 4 KOs) looked as though he had done enough to win, despite being on the deck in the penultimate round, but scores of 98-91 and 96-94 secured Baluta (17-5-1, 3 KOs) the belt, with the third judge tallying 97-93 in favour of the Liverpool man.
Turner takes out Farrag
Super flyweight prospect, Jack Turner impressed again, as he blasted out former European bantamweight champion, Ryan Farrag in two rounds to take the vacant WBA International title.
Turner (11-0, 10 KOs) exploded into action, and a volley of spiteful punches to the head had Farrag (23-6, 6 KOs) flat on his back, and the contest was wisely waved off.
Jack Turner blows Ryan Farrag away in the second round!
What a knockout 💣 #BallDoheny
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/baOInLawFL
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) March 15, 2025
Remaining Undercard
At middleweight, Stephen Clarke (6-0, 1 KO) won all six rounds against Estonia’s Dmitri Protkunas (8-18-1, 1 KO).
In four round action, Lucas Biswana (2-0) dropped Ezequiel Gregores (3-21) on the way to a points win, and featherweight debutant William Birchall (1-0, 1 KO) took a second round stoppage win against Engel Gomez (8-44-3, 4 KOs).
At super welterweight, Lewis Lawton (1-0, 1 KO) also made a debut, and folded Artjom Spatar (4-13-1, 1 KOs) with a body shot to win in the opening round.
Super bantamweight debutant, Leighton Birchall (1-0, 1 KO) had Laszlo Bernath (1-2, 1 KOs) over twice before taking a second round stoppage win.
Joe Bourne (0-0-1) also made his first bow, and it was a heavyweight slugfest that ended in a 38-38 draw against Cristian Uwaka (1-5-1, 1 KO).
