IT wasn't a devastating display but instead, Nick Ball was purposefully patient in breaking down TJ Doheny over ten rounds to make a successful second defence of his WBA featherweight world title last weekend.

The 28-year-old champion didn't have it all his own way, all three judges gave Doheny (26-6, 20 KOs) one of the first four rounds while longtime official John Latham gave the Australian-based Irishman the seventh too, before Ball was deducted a point for a wrestling toss two rounds later.

Much of the post-fight reaction centred around Ball's angry reaction after the bell ended in the first stanza, retaliating with a knee after Doheny kept him in a headlock long after referee Michael Alexander told them to break with an ode to his Thai kickboxing days.

Ball (21-0-1, 13 KOs) acknowledged afterwards that, coupled with his wrestling-style throws at close range, he should harness anger differently in future when the margins of error are finer, though spoke about remaining focused and working on things practiced under trainer/manager Paul Stevenson's guidance in the gym.

When speaking to The Ring post-fight, Stevenson said his charge produced an 8/10 performance all things considered.

"TJ's a banana skin, a tricky southpaw with a stand-off style and if you go towards him, he can get you, if you don't then he can box so you've got to attack but not take any chances - that's where some of the Japanese guys previously came unstuck.

Nick managed risks very well, picked his punches and used that powerful booming jab all night long, worked the body well and was pretty much punch-perfect to break Doheny down."

There were several moments when the thousands of fans packed inside Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena couldn't help but rise to their feet in anticipation of a highlight reel finish, such was the damage Ball inflicted on a gamely Doheny effort.

He would've felt the crowd noise swell, this card built around him and another rising star teammate from the Everton Red Triangle gym, where friend and bantamweight contender Andrew Cain (14-1, 12 KOs) outlasted Charlie Edwards in a forgettable 12-round affair.

"Nick's success is brilliant for the gym and the city of Liverpool, our gym is the oldest - been going since 1920 - it's booming and bringing through fighters like him, Andrew, the McGrail brothers, spurring one another on," Stevenson continued.

"All these guys working hard behind-the-scenes, slogging away against the brick wall at times, they're seeing what I told them: work hard and you'll climb the ladder to become a world champion. Andrew is knocking on the door now and could join Nick by the end of the year."

Ball could afford to savour the moment this time around, five months removed from his previous Liverpool homecoming against Ronny Rios, as promoter Frank Warren promised they'd be back on Merseyside in future celebrating one of Britain's top flagbearers.

On how the last twelve months have been, he told The Ring: "I've just stayed doing what got me here, hard work and discipline with the same people around me. Frank put the shows back home in Liverpool, thought wow this city is really behind me here and makes me take a minute to think about it, how far I've come and it shows what hard work can do. That means a lot."

For all the talk about a Naoya Inoue showdown, Ball smiled when shown a Twitter exchange discussing a potential unification against 6'1 WBO titleholder Rafael Espinoza (26-0, 22 KOs), who faces Edward Vazquez (17-2, 4 KOs) on May 4 in his third title defence.

"The tall one? Yeah, that'd be good too. I'll have to grow a few inches to catch him but smaller guys aren't as easy to hit up there, I'm down for that."