LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – Nick Ball successfully defended his WBA featherweight championship via a stoppage of the brave TJ Doheny.

Ball, boxing in front of his home crowd at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, poured on the pressure from the opening bell, and the aging Doheny just couldn’t keep up. After delivering a brutal beating to Doheny in the 10th round, the Irishman’s corner saved him from the inevitable and rescued him.

Ball, 22-0-1 (13 KOs), walked to the ring with a real mean look on his face. Doheny had annoyed him in the days prior and it looked as though he intended to punish the veteran challenger. Doheny, 26-6 (20 KOs), regardless watched on with an air of confidence.

The 28-year-old Ball came out for the first round behind a high guard and stalked Doheny from afar. He fell just short with a sharp jab that Doheny countered with a southpaw left to the body. Ball shook his head, and then let out a barrage of shots. Doheny was crafty; he twisted Ball around before he could gain momentum with his attack.

Ball thudded in a right to the chest of Doheny, 38, as the round came to a close, and the Irishman grabbed Ball’s head into a headlock. Ball angrily barked at him to release him, which Doheny responded to by laughing, and keeping him in the headlock.

Ball, at this point, was raging with anger, and forced his head free before kicking Doheny aggressively in the shin. The veteran saw an opportunity and fell to the floor in pain, hoping for a disqualification. The referee Michael Alexander was having none of the Irishman’s antics, and he waved Doheny back to his feet.

The pair were told to keep proceedings clean as they met center ring for the second session, and Ball angrily nodded back. He pushed on but was falling short of the awkward Doheny, who would paw his right hand into Ball’s face and spin off. Doheny was not afraid and made sure Ball knew it. He would taunt his shorter opponent with his hands down and landed a fine left hand midway through the third.

That only angered Ball more, and the aggressive fighter piled on the pressure, landing a hard left hand at the sound of the bell that dazed Doheny. He growled into the Irishman’s face as he returned to his corner. Doheny gingerly returned to his corner with a look of fear on his face; he knew he couldn’t take too many of those.

Doheny recovered well from the left hand and returned, swiftly, to boxing in the fourth. Ball struggled to tie him down, but was landing hard shots to his midsection. Doheny was clearly frustrating Ball; he had another two right hands that sailed well clear of the Irishman’s chin, and grunted as Doheny spun away. He was winning the rounds, but Ball wanted blood.

Early in the sixth, Ball landed his best shot so far – a thudding right hand that hit Doheny square in the face. The veteran took it well and span away while repeatedly finding Ball with his jab. The pair came together midway through the round and Ball picked Doheny up like a sand bag and dumped him to the ground. Ball was warned again for his conduct, and landed a further two more right hands before the close of the session.

Doheny looked like he was starting to feel the pace of the fight in the seventh round. His right eye was also starting to swell and he spat before taking one almighty gulp of air. The body attacks from Ball had started to catch up with the ageing Doheny, and it looked as though the Irishman’s time was running out.

Ball sensed it and started fast, whipping in a razor sharp left uppercut to Doheny’s chin. Ball was now landing hard and regularly, and Doheny was struggling. The Irishman was whipping in wild lefts, but they were too slow and Ball piled on the pressure. Ball hurt Doheny early in the ninth and came in for the kill.

The Irish veteran used his experience to tie Ball up before he could land anything else. Ball again took out his frustration and dumped Doheny to the canvas with his shoulder. Alexander had seen enough of Ball’s antics and deducted a point for his behaviour. Ball, regardless of the deduction, smelled blood and again came in for the kill. Doheny did well to survive the round, but with his right eye almost shut it seemed only a matter of time before the end came.

Doheny was exhausted in the 10th but found something from somewhere only he will know, to battle through the round. He was bashed from head to toe but would not wilt. He used every bit of his experience to tie Ball up and ride the heavy shots coming his way. Three successive uppercuts bounced of his head as the round came to a close, and his corner had seen enough.

They saved their fighter for what inevitably would have been further punishment and perhaps even a knockout. A brave showing from Doheny, but Ball was just too fit, strong, and powerful.