Nick Ball v TJ Doheny - Tale of the Tape: Weight, height, reach, trainers, records & more

We analyse the profiles and statistics of Nick Ball and TJ Doheny ahead of their hotly anticipated WBA world featherweight title clash in Liverpool in March.

The road to a fight against Naoya Inoue continues on 15th March for Nick Ball in Liverpool.

Thousands of Scousers will be in attendance to cheer on their man when he makes the second defence of his WBA featherweight world title.

Challenger TJ Doheny doesn’t appear to have much of a chance on paper but the Irishman has sprang the odd surprise in the past.

So, will the champion continue his path to a showdown against Inoue or will the Irish hardman cause the first major upset of 2025.

Let’s look at the Tale of the Tape.

Nick Ball v TJ Doheny - Tale of the Tape

	Nick Ball	TJ Doheny
Age	27	38
Nationality	United Kingdom	Republic of Ireland
Nickname	'Wrecking Ball'	'The Power'
Height	5ft 2ins	5ft 5½ins
Weight	Featherweight	Featherweight
Trainer	Paul Stevenson	Hector Bermudez
Record	21-0-1 (12 KOs)	26-5 (20 KOs)
Last Fight	W v Ronny Rios (October 2024)	L v Naoya Inoue (September 2024)

Nick Ball - In Profile

Two spots on a pair of the biggest fight cards last year helped turn Nick Ball’s 2024 into the greatest of his career.

A draw against WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas on the Joshua-Ngannou bill proved not only did Ball belong on the world stage but that he deserved to win the title such was the calibre of his performance.

The British talent used the disappointment as fuel to change his fortunes completely when he outworked Raymond Ford to not only capture the WBA world title but help promoter Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions rout Matchroom during the inaugural 5v5 event in Saudi Arabia.

Mixing with the best in the world is impossible to maintain in every single fight but the 5ft 2ins pocket rocket rounded off a stunning year to take down Ronny Rios in October in Liverpool during his first title defence.

The end game at 130lbs for Ball is to face Naoya Inoue. Currently the undisputed super bantamweight champion, ‘The Monster’ is gearing up for a run at featherweight this year and Ball wants a piece of the action.

Using his work-rate, high punch output and relentlessness should be more than enough to stop former Inoue opponent Doheny inside the distance.

Afterwards, Liverpool’s Echo Arena will no doubt roar their approval if the winner once again calls out the pound-for-pound superstar Inoue.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Jab	Moves back in straight lines
Sets a high pace	Vulnerable in exchanges
Combination punches	Slow feet
Lateral movement	Uncomfortable under pressure

TJ Doheny - In Profile

The phrase ‘Have Gloves Will Travel’ fits TJ Doheny perfectly.

At 38 years old, the Aussie-based Irishman began his career Down Under before lacing them up in America, Thailand, Japan, UAE and Northern Ireland with return visits to a few of them in between.

Come 15th March, he will fight for the first time in England. Racking up the air miles has had its fair share of highs and lows for Doheny.

Upsetting the odds to win the IBF super bantamweight title against Ryosuke Iwasa, a dominant first defence capped off with an 11th round stoppage win over Ryohei Takahashi will remain the highest of highs.

Losing the title in a unification thriller against Daniel Roman brought Doheny back down to earth in 2019 and since then has fallen short in more big fights.

He did, however, build himself back up with a few wins in Japan to earn the ultimate test at 122lbs – facing Naoya Inoue.

The Japanese star's power and precision proved too much for Doheny, and if he is to cause another upset against Nick Ball he will have to withstand similar pressure and hope his one last hurrah is still somewhere inside him.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Timing	Open to counters
Power	Keeps his hands too low
Variety with the left hand	Susceptible to body shots
Good finisher	Keeps his head on the centre line