I don't think that ball pythons really ever do much damage to each other in the process of showing their dominance with another male. It comes down to a strength issue from what I know.
However...... I think that pairing up to males for a brawl probably is not going to be helpful at all. The stress on the looser may not get you what your looking for in the long run. Heck, the stress on the winner may be detrimental as well.
I think sheds and sperm plugs are the way to go.