Liverpool hero Nick Ball returns to his home arena looking to make a statement against TJ Doheny in the second defence of his WBA featherweight title.
Ball (21-0-1, 12 KOs) took care of business in his homecoming fight at the M&S Bank Arena against Ronny Rios last October, stopping the American in the tenth round.
Veteran Irish southpaw Doheny (26-5, 20 KOs) will pose a different challenge as he boxes for the first time since coming up short in his bid for undisputed glory at super bantamweight against pound-for-pound superstar Naoya Inoue.
WATCH: Nick Ball vs. TJ Doheny on TNT Sports
Indeed, an impressive showing from Ball on Saturday could place him firmly on Inoue’s radar if ‘The Monster’ has designs on world titles in a fifth weight class.
There is plenty of Liverpool representation elsewhere on the main card, with British and Commonwealth glory up for grabs as a rising Cuban star looks to maintain his perfect pro record.
High stakes, high rewards in tomorrow’s main event for Nick Ball and TJ Doheny 🔥#BallDoheny | Saturday, 6.30PM | LIVE on TNT Sports & discovery+ pic.twitter.com/DFvoRZO4Ig
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) March 14, 2025
Nick Ball vs. TJ Doheny undercard
Here’s a breakdown of all the action on the Ball vs. Doheny card.
Andrew Cain vs. Charlie Edwards
- Division/Weight: Bantamweight
- Cain record: 13-1
- Edwards record: 20-1
- Belts at stake: British and Commonwealth
Cain (13-1) makes the first defence of the titles he won courtesy of a fifth-round stoppage of Ashley Lane in July last year.
The Liverpudlian also scored a knockout win over Lazaro Casseres in his most recent outing, and 12 of his 13 professional wins have come inside the distance.
That power punching is likely to be the main concern for skilled former world champion Edwards (20-1), who won the now-vacated European title with a unanimous decision win over Thomas Essomba in his previous bout.
Brad Strand vs. Ionut Baluta
- Division/Weight: Super Bantamweight
- Strand record: 12-1
- Baluta record: 16-5-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Ball’s gym-mate Strand (12-1) is another exciting Scouser on the bill and takes on road warrior Baluta (16-5-1).
The Romanian has become a regular fixture on British fight cards and handed Cain his sole professional defeat in March 2023. Michael Conlan, Liam Davies and Dennis McCann have all been the distance with Baluta. Expect Strand to have to do likewise.
Jack Turner vs. Ryan Farrag
- Division/Weight: Super flyweight
- Turner record: 10-0
- Farrag record: 23-5
- Belts at stake: N/A
By contrast, Turner (10-0) is not a man accustomed to a lengthy night’s work. The all-action super-flyweight prospect has won nine of his ten pro fights via knockout, with eight of those stoppages coming in the first round.
The hope is that Farrag (23-5), a former European bantamweight champion, can give Turner a few more things to ponder, although that might be tough at 37 years of age against a young man with dynamite in his fists.
WATCH: Nick Ball vs. TJ Doheny on TNT Sports
Jadier Herrera vs. Jose Macias
- Division/Weight: Lightweight
- Herrera record: 16-0
- Macias record: 21-3-2
- Belts at stake: N/A
Herrera (16-0) has been making a noise during fight week by calling out Shakur Stevenson, after he was mooted as one of the possible late-replacements to take on the American superstar on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 undercard. Stevenson ultimately fought and beat Englishman Josh Padley.
Herrera boldly told Shakur to “stop running” in an interview with Boxing News and insisted he is “coming for the world champions”. With 14 KOs in his 16 victories, the 22-year-old has time on his side and has every chance of heading in that direction.
Mexico’s Macias (21-3-2) is on a three-fight winning streak, but a gulf in class should reveal itself early enough.
Where to watch Nick Ball vs. TJ Doheny in the U.K.
- Live stream: TNT Sports (￡3.99/month or ￡39.99/year via discovery+)
Ball vs. Doheny will be available on TNT Sports.
Nick Ball vs. TJ Doheny U.K. start time
- Date: Saturday, March 15
- Time: 6:30 p.m. GMT
- Main event start time (approx.): 10 p.m. GMT
- Location: M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
Read the full article here