How Nick Ball broke the chain of modern boxing – and how he can reach Naoya Inoue

Nick Ball belongs to an ancient and forgotten boxing time and place.

On Saturday, Ball defends his WBA featherweight title for the second time, in what will be his fourth world-title fight in just 372 days. No champion is that active in the modern game.

In modern boxing, where the champions are understandably risk averse, it is rare for a fighter to have more than two world title fights in one year. Ball has broken that chain in style.

The Merseyside boxer meets TJ Doheny in Liverpool at the M&S Bank Arena; he defended his title in the same venue last October, won the title in Riyadh in June, and fought a controversial draw for the WBC featherweight title last March – also in Riyadh. He might have had another world title fight, but he also had a hernia operation during the year.

A quick glance at the records of recent British world champions reveals the favoured and sensible tendency of just two fights or less each calendar year. Ball’s activity is refreshing and there is no shortage of future dance partners in a potential series of super-fights.

First, it’s Doheny, and the Irish-born Australian will deliver all the dangers of a man who knows this is his last chance at the end of a good career; it might sound callous, and that is because it is the cold truth in an unforgiving business.

Doheny is now 38, he won the IBF super-bantamweight title in 2018, and last September in Tokyo, he suffered an injury against Naoya Inoue in the seventh round of a bold bid for the undisputed title. Inoue is arguably the best fighter in the world, and he has been linked with a fight against Ball; it would mean Inoue gaining 4lb.

It feels like Ball vs Doheny is the first of many associated fights and events that will lead to Inoue fighting in Riyadh on the traditional December show. This fight is part of a moving jigsaw of plans and players.

Doheny is being used as a test and that is also something that will motivate him – no fighter wants to be used as a measuring stick for a future fight. Ball, 28, will not have to chase Doheny, that is for sure.

“If Nick keeps winning, the Inoue fight could happen,” said promoter Frank Warren. “Why not? Nick would love it, and it could get made.”

Inoue is unbeaten in 29 fights, has won world titles at four weights and stopped 26 of his victims. He is the ultimate test for any boxer under about 9st in weight – perhaps even heavier.

Ball also has a lethal list of featherweights looking over his shoulder and wanting to fight him. The featherweight division has quietly become a tough place with some serious potential fights. Ball, unbeaten in 22, is just one of about five men competing for the No 1 position at the weight.

Angelo Leo holds the IBF version, Rafael Espinoza the WBO belt, and Stephen Fulton has the WBC bauble. They are all in the business of securing the biggest and the highest-paying fight. Ball has become an attraction, a wanted man with a target on his back.

It should be remembered that Ball won the WBA title in a sensational fight last June, when he beat the champion Ray Ford, the unbeaten American who many considered the best at the weight. Ford has since moved up in weight to super-feather. Ball never received the full and proper credit for that win.

“I will keep on winning and never avoid fighters,” he said. “I’m an active champion and I’m doing my fighting in the ring and not by making big claims outside the ring.”

On Saturday night, Ball will get to Doheny, and it will be the type of fight that has made him popular. In modern boxing, so few champions are popular. They are famous, rich, notorious, feared, they have a novelty, they can be arrogant – but popular is an old-fashioned title, and Ball holds it.