TJ Doheny’s team furious after blatant kick goes unpunished in world title fight with Nick Ball

There were absolutely wild scenes as world champion Nick Ball kicked Aussie-based Irishman TJ Doheny in their featherweight world title fight. Watch the bizarre incident here.

TJ Doheny’s team is filthy after the Australian-based Irish hero copped a blatant kick from WBA featherweight world champion Nick Ball in their world title fight in Liverpool.

The outrageous moment happened seconds after the end of a spicy first round, as Doheny had Ball’s head under his arm.

Fighting in front of 11,000 rabid fans in his hometown, Ball launched a left foot into the back of Doheny’s legs, sending the 38-year-old to the canvas.

There was a touch of soccer-like theatrics to Doheny’s fall, but the truly bizarre thing is that Englishman Ball went completely unpunished.

At the very least, Doheny should have been given five minutes to recover from the foul.

The moment Nick Ball (R) lost composure and kicked TJ Doheny. Picture: Supplied

Ball also should have faced a one or two point deduction, or even a disqualification.

“It’s a disqualification, pure and simple,” Doheny’s long-time trainer Tony Del Vecchio of Sydney’s Bondi Boxing told this masthead from the changing rooms moments after the fight.

“You don’t want to win on a thing like that, but that’s what it was. You can’t do that. The rules say that. Do something about it, ref.

“I’m not saying he should’ve been disqualified, I’m just saying it’s wrong, so do something.”

Del Vecchio said he copped more punishment for yelling at the referee than Ball did for kicking Doheny.

“I was told off for shouting at the referee,” he said. “He said, ‘Who are you pointing fingers at?’ and I said, ‘You, ya muppet’.

The 38-year-old former world champion Doheny started well, but faded in the middle rounds. Picture: Jan Kruger/Getty Images

“He eventually started to pull up the shots to the back of the head, and then there were two hip-throws.

“He took a point off, which was fair.

“I think (Ball’s) got proper anger issues, he was making growling faces while the fight was on.

“It was getting to him.”

After starting well, Doheny faded in the middle rounds as the powerful Ball closed the 38-year-old’s right eye.

Doheny’s head trainer, Hector Bermudez eventually stopped the fight after the 10th round, giving Ball his second world title defence.

But the blatant foul left a bad taste for Doheny’s team.

The fight was stopped after the 10th round as Doheny began taking too much punishment. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images

“It happened in our corner, right in front of us,” his Australian manager Mike Altamura told this masthead. “We were taken aback by the complete inaction and the lack of the referee enforcing and implementing what the rules should be.

“Looking at a blatant foul like that, you’re looking at five minutes and a two point deduction, potential DQ, but it is what it is.

“When you’re fighting in their backyard in front of 11,000 people, you know the deck is often stacked against you.”

Altamura and Del Vecchio both said they couldn’t do much about the controversial kick, and that Ball was eventually the worthy winner.

The former IBF super-bantamweight world champion, Doheny is a cult favourite of Australian boxing fans, having fought his first 14 bouts Down Under.

After a loss to Sam Goodman in 2023, Doheny went on to challenge pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue for the undisputed super-bantamweight crown last September.

“The plan was there, the shots were there, he was hitting him good early,” Del Vecchio said of Doheny’s performance. “Ball didn’t have it his own way.

“Wind it back 10 years and TJ stops him, that’s just the way it is.

“We were just hoping to walk him onto a shot, but Hector had to stop it. He’d seen enough, and we agreed.

“He won fair and square in the end.”

Originally published as TJ Doheny’s team furious after blatant kick goes unpunished in world title fight with Nick Ball