bNick Ball and TJ Doheny had to be separated by security after a heated exchange at their weigh-in at BOXPARK in Liverpool on Friday.
Doheny initially failed to make weight for their WBA featherweight title fight, which will be Ball’s second since winning the title against Raymond Ford.
Doheny (26-5, 20 KOs) came in over the 126-pound limit by 0.6 pounds, requiring him to shed the excess weight within an hour. Despite some dispute over fluctuating readings, he successfully made weight on his second attempt at exactly 126 pounds.
His last fight was a seventh-round TKO loss to Naoya Inoue, The Ring’s No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter and undisputed super-bantamweight champion. Doheny sustained a back injury in that bout.
Ball (21-0-1, 12 KOs), who failed to take the title in his first attempt against Rey Vargas due to a controversial draw, weighed in at 125.9 pounds, and was visibly frustrated. His trainer and manager Paul Stevenson also expressed concerns over the scale readings.
Nick Ball and TJ Doheny Separated After Things get Heated
Tensions escalated when Doheny, 38, confronted Ball after stepping off the scales. A verbal exchange turned physical when Doheny nudged Ball in the chest, prompting the champion to shove him by the neck. Security intervened as Doheny tried to break free.
The clash sets the stage for an intense showdown on Saturday at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, Ball’s hometown. Ball is making his second defense of the WBA featherweight title, after first defending against Ronny Rios in 2024, in a fight in which Ball won by tenth-round stoppage.
The 27-year-old Liverpool native is coming off a 10th-round TKO victory over Ronny Rios in October. Doheny, a former IBF super-bantamweight champion, will be fighting at featherweight for the first time.
With tensions high and both fighters eager to make a statement, the WBA featherweight title clash promises fireworks when they step into the ring.
