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Nick Ball vs TJ Doheny Keys to Victory: Breaking down tactics of each fighter
Nick Ball is coming off a monstrous 2024 which had him winning and defending the WBA featherweight world championship.
Ball (21-0-1, 12 KOs) will now look for his second defense of the title when he clashes with rugged veteran TJ Doheny (26-5, 20 KOs) at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England on Saturday, and live on DAZN (excluding UK & Ireland).
With the stakes of this fight riding high, DAZN News analyzes the keys to victory for both fighters in this world title bout.
Nick Ball's keys to victory
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Bring pressure early
Ball’s ability to produce pressure has been key to him becoming and staying world champion.
From the opening bell this weekend, the 28-year-old should make it a point to walk Doheny down with forward-fighting pressure.
His ability to do this could be the biggest key to another title defense.
Maintain pressure
Once Ball begins to walk Doheny down, he cannot let off the front foot.
Maintaining pressure and keeping Doheny on the back foot will go long ways to throwing the scrappy veteran out of sorts.
Not to mention, it will be Ball’s best method toward banking rounds in the case this fight goes the distance.
Unload hooks as combinations
As Ball brings pressure, he does an excellent job exploding with raucous left and right hooks.
After all, he is called the “Wrecking Ball” for a reason.
One of those hooks detonating with the right timing and force and Ball could very well end this fight with an exclamation point.
TJ Doheny's keys to victory
Getty Images
Use veteran savvy
If Ball is going to plow forward with pressure, it is up to Doheny to combat that aggression with well-timed counterpunches.
Landing these shots with consistency could throw Ball out of rhythm enough for the scrappy Doheny to steal rounds and work toward the upset.
Resort to the clinch
Another way that Doheny could disrupt Ball’s forward progress is resorting to the clinch and pushing off on the WBA weatherweight world champion.
Doing this could force Ball to reset his offense and could frustrate him enough where Doheny’s counterpunches can become more pointed.
Clear the mental cobwebs
Doheny’s seventh-round TKO at the hands of “The Monster” Naoya Inoue in September stands as the Irish journeyman’s only loss by knockout.
Yes, it has been more than six months since Doheny suffered that crushing defeat but he has to have the mental cobwebs completely clear against a fighter like Ball who is going to smother him.
That means Doheny not being tentative. He must draw his line in the sand with scrappy fighting to refuse to remain on the back foot against Ball.
Doheny standing his ground and using all the veteran savvy he has will be needed against a champion 10 years his junior and feeling like he is in his prime.
