VERONA, NY (November 9, 2015) — Undefeated former World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion NICHOLAS “Axe Man” WALTERS returns to the ring to take on granite-fisted Top-10 contender JASON “El Canito” SOSA in a 10-round junior lightweight rumble. Walters vs. Sosa will take place on Saturday, December 19, at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Peltz Boxing Promotions and Warriors Boxing Promotions, Walters vs. Sosa will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. ET. The telecast will also feature Bryant “By-By” Jennings vs. Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz in a 12-round heavyweight battle for the WBA interim Heavyweight title. That fight will be presented by Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Gary Shaw Productions.
Nicholas Walters
Nicholas Walters to fight on December 12th on HBO
By Allan Fox: Former WBA Super World featherweight champion Nicholas Walters (26-0, 21 KOs) will be returning to the ring three months from now on December 12th against an opponent to be determined at super featherweight on HBO, according to Dan Rafael. Walters won’t be fighting former IBF/WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa.
It’s not surprising that fight won’t get made because Gamboa is kind of in limbo right now given that the promotional company that he’s signed to SMS Promotions is in bankruptcy.
Mares willing to fight Lomachenko, Walters or Santa Cruz next
By Dan Ambrose: Despite taking a frightful beating last Saturday night to unbeaten former two division world champion Leo Santa Cruz (31-0-1, 17 KOs) in losing a 12 round majority decision, 29-year-old Abner Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) says he’s willing to get back inside the ring to face the likes of Santa Cruz again, or WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko or former WBA Super World featherweight champion Nicholas Walters. It depends on who his adviser Al Haymon wants Mares to fight.
Mares lost the fight to Santa Cruz by the scores of 114-114, 117-111 and 117-111. Mares was fortunate that the scores of the fight was even that close because you can argue that Mares should have lost by a wider set of scores.
Verdejo open to fighting Nicholas Walters
By Dan Ambrose: If Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is interested in putting a fight together, he might consider matching his unbeaten lightweight contender Felix Verdejo (18-0, 13 KOs) against former WBA featherweight champion Nicholas Walters (26-0, 21 KOs), because Verdejo is interested in the fight if they can work out the weight.
Actually there’s not much to work out in the weight department. Walters, 29, out-weighed lightweight Verdejo last Saturday night after both fighters weighed-in before their respective fights.
Lomachenko’s manager sees no point in Nicholas Walters fight now after he lost his title
By Dan Ambrose: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has his work cut out for him in trying to convince WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko to defend his title against former WBA featherweight champion Nicholas Walters (26-0, 21 KOs) now that the 29-year-old Walters no longer is the WBA title holder after losing his belt on the scales last Friday when he failed to make weight for his fight against Miguel Marriaga (20-1, 18 KOs) last Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Walters came in one pound over the limit at 127 pounds. The fight still went ahead, but without Walters’ WBA title in his possession, as it was stripped from him after he failed to make the weight.
Nicholas Walters takes on Miguel Marriga; Verdejo meets Najera tonight
By Chris Williams: Former WBA featherweight champion Nicholas Walters (25-0, 21 KOs) will be trying to salvage a victory tonight in his fight against undefeated #7 WBA Miguel Marriaga (20-0, 18 KOs) when the two big sluggers face each other at Madison Square Garden in New York. With the 29-year-old Walters, you can emphasize the word “big” because he failed to make weight at Friday’s weigh-in when he came in one pound over the 126lb featherweight limit at 127 pounds.
Nicholas Walters loses title on the scales for Marriaga fight
By Chris Williams: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum got some bad news on Friday with his fighter WBA Super World featherweight champion Nicholas Walters (25-0, 21 KOs) failing to make weight for his title defense on Saturday against #7 WBA Miguel Marriaga (20-0, 18 KOs) on HBO Championship Boxing from Madison Square Garden in New York.
Miguel Marriaga: I have the strength and intelligence to beat Nicholas Walters
By Chris Williams: #7 WBA Miguel Marriaga (20-0, 18 KOs) figures that he’s going to upset Top Rank’s big plans of matching WBA Super World featherweight champion Nicholas Walters (25-0, 21 KOs) later this year in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates later this year.
Marriaga, who already beat Walters seven years ago when the two of them were amateurs, thinks he’s going to hand Walters another defeat when they go at it this Saturday night on June 13th on HBO Championship Boxing from Madison Square Garden in New York.
Arum wants to stage big card in Dubai or Abu Dhabi between Lomachenko and Walters in November
By Chris Williams:
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is interested in staging a big fight in November in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates or Abu Dhabi, according to Dan Rafael. Arum wants to stage a featherweight unification bout between WBO champ Vasyl Lomachenko and WBA champion Nicholas Walters over there.
It’s unclear what those two fighters feel about this, as by staging it in that area, it will mean fewer fans from the United States will be able to see it in person due to the travel costs. It might also mean fewer people watching the fight because it taking place so far away.
Arum: Nicholas Walters to face Lomachenko if Walters beats Marriaga
By Dan Ambrose: If WBA Super World featherweight champion Nicholas Walters (25-0, 21 KOs) beats undefeated knockout artist Miguel Marriaga (20-0, 18 KOs) in their fight this Saturday night on HBO, Walters will then face WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko in his next bout, according to Bob Arum of Top Rank. He says not going to let the Walters-Lomachenko fight marinate; he’s going to put the fight together.