Tag Archives: walters

Posted on 11/27/2016

Nicholas Walters Shocks The World…But Not In A Good Way
By: Sean Crose

I think it’s safe to say no one expected Saturday’s WBO super featherweight title fight between Vasyl Lomachenko (6-1) and Nicholas Walters (26-0-1) to end the way it did. Oh, most assumed Lomachenko would achieve the victory, but no one expected Walters to quit on his stool after the seventh round. This was the “Axe Man,” after all, the conqueror of Nonito Donaire. The man might not have had the skill of Loma as he walked into the ring at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas this weekend – but everyone knew he had the great equalizer known as punching power to go along with his own considerable skill set.

It didn’t matter. Not in the least. This was a world class shellacking. If there’s another, better, word for what transpired between the two undefeated fighters, I’m unfamiliar with it. Loma, the slick, disciplined, fast, aggressive boxer was far, far more than Walters could handle. Truth be told, the Jamaican was never really in the fight. He landed good to the body at times, but Loma’s relentless attack clearly frustrated Walters to no end. To be sure, there was no way Walters could keep up with his opponent. All he could hope is that some way, somehow, those shots to the body would wear Loma down.

That or he would somehow land a Sunday punch on the Ukrainian wunderkind.

Neither happened. And, in truth, Walters never fully allowed himself the chance to make them to happen. Why? Because he quit. Now, in fairness, the chances of the Axe Man pulling off the win were pretty slim. What’s more, he was being made to look second rate by Lomachenko, who was also being a bit of a jerk by openly rubbing it all in. Standing still with his hands down, waving in mockery between rounds…these tactics, freely employed by Loma, were most definitively not signs of good sportsmanship.

Was Walters right to just up and quit, however? There’s something about pulling a Roberto Duran that simply rubs people the wrong way. Indeed, there’s a difference between a person who quits on the stool during a serious physical beating and one who has simply had enough emotionally. The person who cares about his long term physical well being should suffer no shame. The person who simply doesn’t want to look silly, however…

Of course, all this is easy to say from the comfort of being behind a keyboard. In truth, no one really knows what was going through Walters’ mind except Walters. To be sure, Loma was starting to land hard on the man. A definitive end could have come quickly. Then again, Loma may have simply wanted to take sadistic pleasure from dragging the proceedings out. He wouldn’t be the first fighter to do such a thing.

Ultimately, however, a fighter should know that he or she runs the risk of such abuse when he or she decides to take up prize fighting as a profession. Those who embarrass easily might not want to engage in activity where they could get knocked unconscious in front of millions. Or be played with by a high level professional. It’s part of the hurt business that’s boxing. Or at least it is until you quit on your stool.

Posted on 11/27/2016

Walters says “No Mas”, as Lomachenko retains Title

By: Matthew N. Becher

In Bob Arums 2,000th promoted fight, Top Rank Boxing presented a highly anticipated World Title fight on HBO Boxing After Dark, live from The
Cosmopalitan in Las Vegas.

The champion Vasyl Lomachenko(6-1 4ko) defended his WBO Super Featherweight title against power puncher Nicolas Walters (26-0-1 21ko). These two fighters have been on a direct course of meeting in the ring for over a year, but do to contract disputes it was prolongued until last night.

The fight was controlled early on from the champion Lomachencko, who threw more punches, changed the angles and was one hundred percent the general in the ring.
Walters seemed timid, holding his power punch back, waiting for that one knock out punch.

Around the 4th round things began to get chippy between the fighters, with Lomachenko throwing Walters to the canvas during a clinch, and both fighters
being warned by Tony Weeks for rabbit punches and told to keep the fight clean.

The fifth round showed even more frustration for Walters, as he gave a low blow to Lomachencko. Lomachenko even stopped fighting at the end of the round, standing completely still for the final 10 seconds, showing the crowd and judges that Walters would not press the fight at all.

The seventh round was a showcase for Lomachenko, as he turned on the speed, punched at will and completely beat the spirit out of of Nicolas Walters. It seemed that during the round Walters was looking to Weeks and his own corner to stop the fight. Walters was able to last the round but decided not to continue any further, saying “No Mas” and conceding the fight betwen the 7th and 8th rounds.

Most champions would usually fight until they couldn’t stand anymore, but Walters was completely beat in every aspect of the fight. This was a blackeye for
Nicolas Walters, but it was also a point proven on how good Vasyl Lomachenko really is. A fighter with less than 10 professional fights could be the top pound for pound boxer in the world. Cannot wait to see who he fights next.

Lomachenko TKO 7

Posted on 11/25/2016

Just How Good Is Vasyl Lomachenko?
By: Sean Crose

People are saying Ukrainian wunderkind Vasyl Lomachenko might end up being the greatest athlete to ever lace up a pair of gloves. I say we’re living in an age of hyperbole, an age where people are literally considered evil simply for voting for one particular candidate over another. Indeed, all the over-the-top rhetoric has grown tiresome to me. Still, the s endless praise heaped on Loma – as he’s called – by everyone from Bob Arum to Joe Rogan is not without merit. Heck, even a phone tech my wife was recently talking to was talking up the guy. That kind of attention is at least generally based on a solid foundation.

Is Lomachenko, however, as good as he’s cracked up to be? Well, we know he lost once, albeit in terribly unfair fashion to Orlando Salido (a fighter who I generally like). With that aside, however, he’s proved to be marvelous in the ring. Never mind that amateur record – which is nearly sickening in its awesomeness – there’s also wins like the absolute beatdown he laid on Roman Martinez late last spring. Make no mistake about it, Loma is something else. The footwork, the combos, even the power – it’s really impressive stuff.

There’s also the guy’s vaunted confidence. This here is a man who dares to be great. Seriously, could you picture any of the crop of today’s safety-first fighters wanting to face the likes the 26-0-1 Nicholas “Axe Man” Walters? The 6-1 Lomachenko has proven himself ready, able and willing to fight the destroyer of Nonito Donaire and others this very weekend. Sure enough, the Lomachenko-Walters fight at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas for the WBO world super featherweight strap might give us lots of insight into Lomachenko’s future.

Sure, Walters hasn’t fought in ages, but he’s only himself to blame if he doesn’t show up Saturday night with his A-game. In other words, he’s a legit challenge for the man some are already claiming might be the greatest ever. Indeed, those who feel Walters has no chance of pulling off the upset are fooling themselves. That’s why the fight should make for such a solid gauge of Loma’s talent. Walters is top level competition, the kind of name that glistens on a resume. Should Lomachenko win and win impressively, the hype will start to become more than hype – at least to some degree.

Ultimately, it will take a while to tell if this very talented boxer will attain the insane promise he’s presented the world with – or that some have presented before him. For now, we only know that Lomachenko has proven himself to be quite accomplished in just seven fights and that his potential is considerably higher than the average fighters. In the end, Lomachenko himself will prove to us whether or not he’s as good as advertised. Give him credit, though, for daring to be great. If only more talented boxers had the man’s ambition. Or Walters’, for that matter. The Axe Man has chosen one hell of a tree to try to cut down this weekend, after all.

Posted on 10/04/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook: Ward, Lomachenko, Walters, McGregor, Mayweather, Beterbiev, and more…
By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of September 27th to October 4th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Photo Credit: Khristopher Sandifer/Roc Nation Sports

Dana White Tells TMZ Sports: McGregor Ain’t Fighting Mayweather

TMZ Sports recently caught up with Dana White and he told them that the often talked about Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight will never happen, and that the fighters are more interested in money than in actually trading blows.

He also told TMZ that if Floyd does want to make a deal to fight McGregor, it would not be a boxing match and would have to be an MMA style bout.

Read more at : http://www.tmz.com/2016/10/04/dana-white-conor-mcgregor-floyd-mayweather/

Andre Ward Kicks Off Training Camp Ahead of Showdown with Sergey Kovalev

Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) officially kicks off training camp in Hayward, CA with trainer Virgil Hunter ahead of his November 19 showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas against WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs).

Ward’s training camp, which will serve as a base for Ward over the next several weeks as he continues his quest to dominate the light heavyweight division, is sponsored by a resounding collection of American-based companies including Jordan Brand, Shoe Palace, JetLux, and ProSupps.

Below is what Team Ward had to say about the start of training camp:

ANDRE WARD, Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter:

“I’ve been in pre-camp mode for weeks now following my last fight, and have been mentally preparing for the work ahead of me. It’s an exciting feeling to be in full camp mode, where I can dedicate 100% of my mind, body and soul to the battle I am about to face. This is a fight that we have been working up to since last spring. The game plan hasn’t changed. I am here and I am ready.”

VIRGIL HUNTER, Andre Ward’s Trainer:

“No one beats Andre Ward when it comes to training camp. We’re going into camp with the mentality of another day, another fight, another win. His strive for perfection, work ethic and consistency is what makes him a champion.”

JAMES PRINCE, Andre Ward’s Manager:

“With everything set for the biggest fight of the year on November 19, we are excited to open training camp. What is done here for the next few weeks will play a major part in the final outcome. We thank God for the opportunity and look forward to giving the boxing community and all of our fans, the fight that they have been anticipating.”

Lomachenko to Face Walters on HBO

Boxing Day comes to Las Vegas one month early with a blockbuster fight between two of the hardest hitters in the sport. Two-division world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist VASYL LOMACHENKO will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight title against undefeated former world featherweight champion NICHOLAS “Axe Man” WALTERS. Lomachenko vs. Walters will take place Saturday, Nov. 26, at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. It will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:35 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, ticket information for the Lomachenko-Walters world championship event, including room/ticket packages, will be announced shortly.

“Boxing fans will be able to spend their Thanksgiving holiday weekend feasting on the year’s most anticipated showdown,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “Forget their weight class. With more than 3/4 of their victories coming by way of knockout, they punch and win like heavyweights! We know how the fight is going to end. The question is, which fighter will end it.”

“I want to thank HBO and Bob Arum for giving me this opportunity to test myself in the fight with the best. Walters you are next on my list.” said Lomachenko.

“I am very happy and excited about this upcoming bout between Lomachenko and Walters,” said Egis Klimas, Lomachenko’s manager. “Ones again Vasyl proved he wants to fight the very best fighters in his weight division and I want everyone to understand when he says so, he means it. Thank you to our promoter Top Rank and HBO network for putting this fight together.”

“Any fighter can be knocked out no matter who he is,” said Walters. “I like fighting the best and I like fighting against great technical fighter like Lomachenko. Look at what happened when I fought a great technical fighter like Nonito Donaire. Lomachenko is great, he knows what he is doing in the ring. But I always look for a knockout against whomever I fight. If I can do it quick, I will. This is the best fight out there in boxing today. It will be the Fight of the Year.”

“On November 26, live on HBO, Vasyl Lomachenko and Nicholas Walters will step up to deliver for the fans the fight they’ve been demanding to determine another of boxing’s top pound for pound stars,” said Peter Nelson, executive vice president, HBO Sports. “We are proud to feature this junior lightweight title showdown on our flagship World Championship Boxing series.”

Artur Beterbiev to Face Isdiro Prieto on December 23rd

Ottawa and Outaouais boxing fans in Canada will receive a special Christmas gift when Montreal’s adopted son and the most dangerous world title challenger,Artur Beterbiev (10-0, 10 KOs), faces Paraguay slugger and reigning WBC Latino light heavyweight champion Isidro Ranoni Prieto (26-1-3, 22 KOs) in a real power punching affair, December 23 in Gatineau as part of the GYM Boxing Series, presented by the Casino de Lac Leamy in collaboration with Videotron.

Beterbiev is world ranked by all over the major sanctioning bodies: International Boxing Federation (IBF) #2, World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) #3, World Boxing Organization (WBO) #4, and The Ring magazine #6.

WBO #10 rated contender Prieto has won his last two fights by knockout, since losing by unanimous decision to Eleider Alvarez in a spectacular 12-round fight, in which he refused to give an inch to the WBC # 1 challenger on August 15, 2015 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Expect fireworks as the KO ratio for Beterbiev and Prieto is an incredible 80-percent.

“Despite the claims of some promoters and light heavyweight challengers,” Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM president Yvon Michel said, “it’s a fact that Artur Beterbiev is the most dangerous and biggest threat to all of the world light heavyweight champions All contenders for titles change their minds when it comes to getting in the same ring with him,” said the president of GYM, Yvon Michel.

“Isidro Prieto is a fierce fighter who accepted the challenge, also believing he has the style to repel even the most courageous boxer. He is determined to make a name for himself December 23rd. We certainly admire his determination.”

Lopez to Face Valcarcel on November 12th

World ranked super bantamweight Adam Lopez will take on Carlos Valcarcel on Saturday, November 12th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. The broadcast is slated to begin at 9:30 PM ET.

The scheduled eight-round bout will be the featured bout of the inaugural broadcast on ONE World Sports.

The card is promoted by GH3 Promotions & Victory Boxing Promotions.

Lopez of San Antonio, Texas is ranked 4th by the WBA and has a record of 15-0-1 with seven knockouts.
The 25 year-old Lopez is a four year pro and has wins over Pablo Cruz (11-0), Eliecer Aquino (17-0-1), former world champion Erik Aiken & Mario Munoz (16-0-1).

In his last bout, Lopez fought to a ten-round split draw with Roman Reynoso (18-1-1) on July 22nd in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

Valcarcel has a record of 14-8-4 with five knockouts. The 34 year-old native of Miami, Florida has wins over Jovanny Soto (15-2-1), Rodolfo Garay (14-2-1) & Leivi Brea (16-4-3).

The 12 year veteran also has fought former world champion Eric Morel and future world title challenger Jessie Magdaleno.

Valcarcel is coming off a 6th round stoppage defeat to undefeated Erick DeLeon on June 25th in Dallas, Texas.

Seeing action in the eight round co-feature will be undefeated welterweight Ed Brown.

The 24 year-old native of Chicago has a record of 18-0 with 15 knockouts, and has established himself as one of the top welterweight prospects in boxing.

Brown is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Gilbert Venegas on July 30th in Hammond, Indiana.

In an eight-round super middleweight bout, hard-punching Jerry Odom will take on Taneal Goyco.
Odom of Washington, DC has a record of 14-2-1 with 13 knockouts, and is a four-year professional. The 23 year-old Odom won his first twelve bouts, which included a thrilling come from behind stoppage over previously undefeated Vilier Quinonez (9-0) on July 25, 2014 in a nationally televised bout on ShoBox: The New Generation.

Odom avenged a controversial disqualification defeat by destroying previously undefeated Andrew Hernandez (8-0) in one round. In his last bout, Odom stopped Julius Jackson (19-1)in three rounds.
Goyco of Philadelphia has a record of 8-9-1 with three knockouts.

Goyco has upset the apple-cart on several occasions. He has wins over undefeated Dennis Morris (1-0), Jeremy Trussell (8-0) & Devin Butcher (5-0) plus upset victories over Frankie Filippone (14-2-1) and Dennis Hasson (16-1). Goyco is coming off a eight-round unanimous decision defeat to Tony Hirsch on June 11th in Oakland, California.

Opening up the ONE World Sports television broadcast will be talented prospect Jaron Ennis of Philadelphia.

Ennis, 19 years old has a record of 6-0 with five knockouts. In his last bout, he was taken the distance for the first time, but pounded out a four-round unanimous decision over Eddie Diaz on September 15th.

In off-television action and appearing in six-rounds bouts will be super welterweight Arturo Trujillo (8-0, 5 KO’s) of Easton, PA, super lightweight Keenan Smith (9-0, 3 KO’s) of Philadelhia; junior lightweight John Joe Nevin (8-0, 4 KO’s) of Mullinger, Ireland.

Rising Promotions Signs Isaiah Seldon, Marvin Johnson, Dan Murray, and others to Promotional Contracts

Rising Promotions is proud to announce the signings of super middleweight Isiah Seldon, super lightweight’s Marvin Johnson & Dan Murray, bantamweight Dallas Holden, cruiserweight David Sparks and featherweight Dion Sparks to exclusive promotional contracts.

They join undefeated heavyweight Quian Davis (3-0-2, 2 KO’s) as the first group of fighters to ink contracts under the Rising Promotions banner.

Davis is coming off a 28 second knockout this past Saturday night in Trenton, New Jersey over Jonathan Hafley

Seldon of Atlantic City, New Jersey has a record of 9-1 with three knockouts.

The 28 year-old son of former WBA Heavyweight world champion, Bruce Seldon, turned professional in 2010 and won his first seven bouts. Following his lone blemish, Seldon has won two fights in 2016, which includes his latest outing when won a six-round unanimous decision over Eddie Edmond on May 27th in Atlantic City.

“I am happy and excited. I know they will keep me busy and they are bringing boxing back to Atlantic City. It’s a blessing,” said Seldon.

Johnson has a record of 1-0-1. The Bridgeton, New Jersey native is had a long amateur career of 211-31. He was a 2007 National PAL in 2007 and 6 time in Florida PAL champion. Johnson was a 3 time time Ringside World Championship Runner-Up; 3 time National PAL Runner-Up Johnson is 24 years-old and turned professional in 2014, and is is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Lamont White on July 22nd in Atlantic City.

“It’s a blessing and great opportunity in my career. It puts my family in a better position. It gives me a good opportunity to fight in front of my hometown fans. I want to thank Debbie LaManna, Thomas LaManna and Vinny LaManna. It has effected and changed my family lives. I was on the shelf for a year and now I get the opportunities to show my skills,” said Johnson.

Murray, 24 years-old of Barnegat, New Jersey was 26-7 as an amateur. He was a New Jersey Golden Gloves and New Jersey Diamond Gloves champion.

Murray trains at the Atlantic City PAL.

“I am very excited and ready to go out and show the world what I have to offer, I am glad to sign with Rising Promotions and I will show everyone what I am all about. I worked very hard and hard work pays off,” said Murray

Holden, 20 years-old of Atlantic City was a highly regarded amateur who amassed 50 fights. Holden fought in the Philadelphia Golden Gloves. He has a professional record of 1-0. Holden turned professional on July 22nd with a four-round unanimous decision over Kevin Asmat in Atlantic City.

“I have known Thomas for a long time and its going to be a good thing. It’s going to open a lot of doors. Because of my amateur career, people know me and now they want to see me fight as a professional,” said Holden.

David Sparks of Brooklyn, New York has a record of 2-0. The 31 year-old turned professional in 2014 and in his latest outing, he won a four-round unanimous decision over Marcellus Yates on March 28, 2015 in Queens, New York .

Before turning pro, Sparks competed in 80 amateur fights and amassed 3 National championships, Golden Gloves and Ringside world championships

“Signing came at a great time. We needed a break in our career. We have been going through some difficult things. I expect to fight a lot . Hopefully every month or two. I am always in the gym. Hopefully eight to ten fights.

Dion Sparks, 19 years old, had 135 amateur fights. He won 3 national championships and 2 world championships, and at one point was ranked number-one in the United States.

“This is every exciting. I can do really great with Rising Promotions. I am young and talented. We been all over including at Mayweather Gym. I am always in shape and I am ready to fight. I have great expectations. I would like to fight 8 to 10 times and just stay active. I think within two or three years, we can get the right fights and fight for a championship. They set them up and we will knock them down, “said Dion Sparks. “we appreciate Rich Masini and all he has done for us.

“We are very excited to announce out first signings,”said Thomas LaManna of Rising Promotions. “When we started the promotion, one of our missions was to give local fighters opportunities to showcase their abilities. So to have signed five fighters from New Jersey and two from New York is a great start for us. I think because of the success of our series at The Claridge has and will continue to attract top talent from this area. We will continue to look for and sign the best fighters and continue to put on the top-notch shows that we have over the past year.”

Posted on 09/28/2016

Lomachenko-Walters Set To Throw Down In November
By: Sean Crose

Boxing got some much needed good news on Tuesday (it’s been in a doldrums worthy of Coleridge lately) when word arrived that Ukrainian vunderkind Vasyl Lomachenko will be facing hard hitting Montego Bay native Nicolas Walters on November 26th in Vegas. The scrap will be for Lomachenko’s super lightweight title and will air on HBO. Although neither Loma nor Walters, whose nickname is the Axe Man, are household names, this is a serious fight for boxing devotees, the kind of matchup the sport needs to see more of in order to be prosperous and healthy.

Walters – 26-0-1 – has been out of the fight game for what seems like forever, while the 6-1 Loma has been waiting for an opponent worthy of his considerable talent. Although few may feel Walters can rise to the occasion, the former titlist is indeed one of the biggest threats out there for the lauded (former) amateur great. Needless to say, this battle is must see for fight nuts. Indeed, Walters is a skilled and powerful fighter in his own right (just ask Nonito Donaire). Sure enough, it may prove to be unwise to write off the Axe Man in this case.

Some may recall that the two men were supposed to fight some time ago but that Walters, so the tale went, reportedly asked for too much money. Whether this story was true or not is unknown to this author – at this point, does it really matter? – but it does make clear the fact that fans have been clamoring for this matchup for some time now. The (potential) pairing wouldn’t have generated as much buzz as it did the first time around if no one was interested.

Lomachenko, whose last fight went down in June when he decimated a game Roman Martinez, will be riding a five fight winning streak since losing a dirty battle to the gritty Orlando Salido back in 2014. Walters, on the other hand, will be fighting for the first time since December of last year when he received what can best be described as a controversial decision draw to Jason Sosa in a bout this writer and others clearly believed he won. Previously, Walters had stopped five of his last six opponents, including such notables as Donaire and Vic Darchinyan.

With rough patches now behind them, both fighters are entering what is surely the biggest match of each man’s life, a match that arrives none too soon for fans discouraged with this showcase era of boxing.