Nick Ball is a man on a mission. The Brit doesn’t stop attacking his opponent—he presses, cuts corners, and breaks them down. His main skill is the ability to physically dominate when there is no size advantage.

The fight against Doheny won’t be one where Nick has the advantage in height or reach either. Ball is slightly shorter than TJ and has shorter arms, and the Irishman is quite capable of boxing as a counterpuncher.

This is the kind of fight where the more versatile Doheny likely won't have to push forward and take the initiative—his opponent’s attacking activity is too high. However, TJ feels comfortable working as a counterpuncher. In his last fight against Naoya Inoue, the Irishman handled the countering well and defended against an aggressive puncher.

Ball is 27, Doheny is 38. TJ is at the later stage of his career. It’s not to say that his fight against Inoue showed that his age had severely affected his physical condition, but it’s important to note that Naoya doesn’t attack as aggressively as Ball does.

It’s unclear whether Doheny will be able to withstand Nick’s constant pressure. He hasn’t faced this level of offensive activity before.

At the same time, despite his age, Ball’s record is more attractive. Nick has fought and won against Dogbo, Vargas, and Ford. The Brit won all of these bouts, even though his draw against Vargas was highly controversial.

Against opponents of a similar level (Sam Goodman, Naoya Inoue, Michael Conlan), Dogene has lost.

Nick Ball is one of the most prolific punchers in the world right now. For example, in his fight against Raymond Ford, the Brit threw over 800 punches with an accuracy of 20.2%. Nearly 550 of those punches were power shots.

Doheny fights differently. He’s economical in the ring, only striking when his opponent opens up for attack. Against aggressive fighters, this is one potential path to victory. However, it’s important that his punches are precise and hard enough to stop his opponent’s advances.

In 2024, Dogene fought twice—winning by stoppage once and losing by stoppage once. After his loss to Inoue, TJ hasn’t stepped into the ring.

For Ball, 2024 has been a breakthrough year. He fought three times, drawing against Rey Vargas, which brought him significant attention due to both the fight and the result, which many considered unfair. He then defeated Raymond Ford in a tough 12-round battle and scored a stoppage win over Ronny Rios.

Undoubtedly, Doheny can punch. He targets the torso well and handles aggressive opponents effectively. This is the main danger for Ball—getting caught in a counter-punch.

Nick is also no slouch when it comes to punching power. However, as an aggressively attacking fighter, he has relatively few stoppage wins. Ball is more likely to wear down his opponents with sustained attacks rather than knocking them out.

Doheny’s only stoppage loss came at the hands of Naoya Inoue, one of the best punchers in the world right now. Even then, the Japanese fighter didn’t manage to knock him out cleanly—Doheny had to leave the ring due to injury.

Ball has never lost by stoppage and has never been seen in critical situations from a punch. So, despite TJ’s solid punching power, he will have to work extra hard to stop his opponent or send him down for a knockdown or knockout.

This will be Ball’s tenth fight in Liverpool, so nearly half of his career has been spent fighting at home.

It’s not Doheny’s first time fighting in a new location. He has fought in Japan, Dubai, the USA, Thailand, and Australia. So, this is just another location change for TJ.

On the other hand, a packed Liverpool crowd supporting their local hero creates immense pressure for Doheny.

Doheny has grabbed a few good opportunities at the end of his career, including facing Inoue and now Ball. These are all money fights against top fighters in their divisions.

Coming back after a loss is tough. Coming back after a loss and immediately facing a young aggressor in the next weight class makes it even tougher. For TJ, everything is on the line here. If he wins, he could secure a few more lucrative fights before the end of his career. If he loses, it might be time to think about the end of his sporting journey.

For Ball, this fight isn’t just organized by chance. He has been on the rise in 2024, and Turki Alashikh wants to see him fight Naoya Inoue. That’s why this fight against a recent opponent is so important, especially since the Japanese fighter didn’t defeat him as decisively as many had expected.

Nick is expected to bring excitement. Any other win will likely be met with skepticism.