LONDON (12 June) – Thrilling featherweight world champion Nicholas ‘Axe Man’ Walters says he doesn’t recall losing to Columbian hard-hitter Miguel Marriaga as an amateur.

The undefeated pair do battle this Saturday night, live and exclusive on BoxNation, with Jamaican sensation Walters putting his WBA crown on the line at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York.

29-year-old Walters burst onto the scene last year with an emphatic sixth round stoppage over 2012 Fighter of the Year Nonito Donaire, seeing his record go to 25-0 with 21 wins coming from knockout.

However, Walters has tasted defeat as an amateur that coming against the man he faces this weekend, something which he doesn’t remember too well.

“Marriaga may have beaten me in the amateurs but I do not remember it. Besides, those fights are four rounds. On Saturday we will be fighting 12 rounds,” said Walters.

“He may be bringing his ‘A Game’ but I am bringing my ‘A-Plus Game’. I have trained for a knockout victory. I am going to destroy him,” he said. The

Montego Bay banger is also open to taking on any challengers, with a unification bout with WBO champion Lomachenko having been mooted this week, as Walters first looks forward to fighting at the legendary ‘Mecca of Boxing’.

“I am overwhelmed to be fighting at Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of Boxing, because so many of boxing’s great champions have fought here. It is hallowed ground. It is my honour and I want to give my best performance there.

“To be great – to be known as the best – you have to beat the best and I am ready to take on all champions in my division and beyond,”

Walters said. Big-punching Marriaga, known as ‘The Scorpion’ due to his sting, has amassed an impressive 20 wins and no losses with 18 coming by way of knockout.

He has laughed off Walters suggestion that he has forgot about his loss to him and is convinced he will produce the same result now as a professional.

“Of course Walters doesn’t remember me beating him for a spot on the Olympic team – because he lost! He’s not going to remember this Saturday for the same reason,” said Marriaga.

“I have the strength and the intelligence to beat him and I will use my strength and intelligence. After I beat Walters again on Saturday I look forward to unifying the titles in my next fight,” he said.

This Saturday’s card also sees future superstar Felix Verdejo in action as he takes on undefeated Ivan Najera in a light-welterweight contest.

The bill is guaranteed to produce fireworks, with the four undefeated fighters boasting a perfect combined record of 78-0 (60 KOs), which includes a victory by knockout ratio of 77%.

Puerto Rican hotshot Verdejo, with a record of 17-0 (11 KOs), will be doing battle during the Puerto Rican Day Parade Weekend but is aware that 22-year-old Najera represents his hardest test to date.

“It is an honour to be fighting on Puerto Rican Day Parade Weekend in boxing’s most historic building, Madison Square Garden. I have dreamed of doing this for so long.

“And then on Sunday I will be riding on a float in the parade. But first I need to prove myself worthy of these honours,” said Verdejo.

“Najera is my toughest test as a professional and I have worked very hard in training camp. I am prepared to go mano a mano on Saturday night. I will be fighting not just for myself but for the pride of Puerto Ricans everywhere,” he said.

Najera, though, is confident of springing the upset and tearing up the script.

“I am ready for my moment – my date with destiny. I am here to do what I always do – to spoil the party. I have sacrificed so much to be ready for Saturday night but I will be dining out on this victory for years to come.

“June 13 will be remembered as Ivan Najera’s ‘Coming Out Party!’,” he said.

Walters vs Marriaga is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky437/490HD, Virgin 525, TalkTalk 415) this Saturday night. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at Livesport.tv and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

HBO Boxing’s hit late-night franchise presents an all-action doubleheader featuring four undefeated fighters when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: NICHOLAS WALTERS VS. MIGUEL MARRIAGA AND FELIX VERDEJO VS. IVAN NAJERA is seen SATURDAY, JUNE 13 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for both bouts, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: June 14 (9:45 a.m.) and 15 (11:30 p.m.)

HBO2 playdate: June 16 (midnight)

In the main event, featherweight titlist Nicholas Walters (25-0, 21 KOs) defends his world championship against Miguel Marriaga (20-0, 18 KOs) in a 12-round fight. Walters, 29, captured his first world title in 2012 when he knocked out Daulis Prescott in his home country of Jamaica and has successfully defended his belt three times by knockout. In his HBO debut last October, Walters grabbed the attention of the boxing world with a sensational knockout of former five-division world champ Nonito Donaire. Making his own HBO debut, Colombia’s Marriaga, 28, will be seeking a world title for the first time.

On the eve of New York’s Puerto Rican Day parade, the co-main event features boxing’s fastest-rising prospect, Felix Verdejo (17-0, 13 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, taking on Ivan Najera (16-0, 8 KOs) of San Antonio, Tex., in a ten-round lightweight contest. During his rise in the division, Verdejo has remained exceptionally active, fighting seven times in 2014 and eight times in 2013. Both undefeated 22-year-olds will be making their HBO debuts as they rekindle boxing’s longstanding Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry, and both will be appearing in just their second ten-round fight. For Verdejo, this fight will be his third at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, a fight venue that launched rewarding ring careers for fighters like Arturo Gatti, Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

It’s a special weekend for HBO Boxing. On Sunday, June 14, Jim Lampley, who has been broadcasting fights on the network since 1988 and has been ringside for many of the sport’s signature moments the past 27 years, will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.

The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jonathan Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

NEW YORK (June 10, 2015) — Undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion NICHOLAS “Axe Man” WALTERS of Jamaica, and the boxing gem of Puerto Rico, undefeated No. 3 world-rated lightweight contender FELIX “El Diamante” VERDEJO and their opponents, Top-10 contender MIGUEL “The Scorpion” MARRIAGA and IVÁN “Bam Bam” NAJERA, respectively, hosted a media workout in Manhattan today.

The four undefeated fighters headline, in separate bouts, a world championship card in New York during Puerto Rican Day Parade Weekend. With 60 knockout victories between them, fireworks are all but assured for this event which will take place This Saturday! June 13, in The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Walters (25-0, 21 KOs), from Montego Bay, Jamaica, who is in the third year of his championship reign, will defend his world title against Marriaga (20-0, 18 KOs), of Arjona, Colombia. Verdejo (17-0, 13 KOs), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in his live HBO debut, will make the first defense of his newly-won World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino lightweight title against Najera(16-0, 8 KOs), of San Antonio, TX. Both fights will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The four gladiators boast a perfect combined record of 78-0 (60 KOs), which includes a victory by knockout ratio of 77%.

NICHOLAS WALTERS
“Marriaga may have beaten me in the amateurs but I do not remember it. Besides those fights are four rounds. On Saturday we will be fighting 12 rounds. He may be bringing his ‘A Game’ but I am bringing my ‘A-Plus Game.’ I have trained for a knockout victory. I am going to destroy him.

“I am overwhelmed to be fighting at Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of Boxing, because so many of boxing’s great champions have fought here. It is hallowed ground. It is my honor and I want to give my best performance there. To be great…to be known as the best…you have to beat the best and I am ready to take on all champions in my division and beyond.”

MIGUEL MARRIAGA
“Of course Walters doesn’t remember me beating him for a spot on the Olympic team…BECAUSE HE LOST! He’s not going to remember Saturday, June 13 for the same reason!

“I have the strength and the intelligence to beat him. I will use my strength and intelligence to beat him.

“After I beat Walters again on Saturday I look forward to unifying the titles in my next fight.”

FELIX VERDEJO
“It is an honor to be fighting on Puerto Rican Day Parade Weekend in boxing’s most historic building, Madison Square Garden. I have dreamed of doing this for so long. And then on Sunday I will be riding on a float in the parade. But first I need to prove myself worthy of these honors. Najera is my toughest test as a professional and I have worked very hard in training camp. I am prepared to go mano a mano on Saturday night. I will be fighting not just for myself but for the pride of Puerto Ricans everywhere!”

IVÁN NAJERA
“I am ready for my moment – my date with destiny. I know this is supposed to be Verdejo’s big debut on HBO. But I am here to do what I always do – to spoil the party. I have sacrificed so much to be ready for Saturday night but I will be dining out on this victory for years to come. June 13 will be remembered as Iván Najera’s Coming Out Party!”

***************************

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with All Star Boxing, Tecate and Madison Square Garden, remaining tickets to the Walters vs. Marriaga / Verdejo vs. Najera world championship boxing event, priced at $205, $105 and $55, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #WaltersMarriaga or #VerdejoNajera to join the conversation on Twitter.

LONDON (22 May) – Boxing has enjoyed an incredible year in 2015 with BoxNation at the forefront having screened the biggest and best fights around.

In the past few weeks alone ‘The Channel of Champions’ has shown some of the highest viewed fights in years live and exclusive including the thrilling toe-to-toe war between Lucas Matthysse and Ruslan Provodnikov, heavyweight legend Wladimir Klitschko’s defence of his world titles against Bryant Jennings, Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez’s brutal knockout of James Kirkland and Kazakh ace Gennady Golovkin’s stunning win over Willie Monroe Jr.

Those eye-catching battles will undoubtedly go down among the top highlights of a remarkable year with BoxNation set to keep delivering with an unbelievable value-for-money lineup over the summer.

The non-stop live boxing action starts tonight when Russian kingpin Alexander Povetkin takes on the Cork based Cuban Mike Perez as both slug it out to see who will compete for the charismatic Deontay Wilder’s WBC heavyweight world title next up.

Then, next Friday night, live from the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, one of boxing’s most exciting fighters is back when British welterweight star Amir Khan takes on Chris Algieri as he looks to get his name into the Floyd Mayweather sweepstakes for September.

28-year-old Khan is coming-off a dazzling display against the tricky Devon Alexander in his last matchup but will have to be at his best against former champion Algieri who is fighting in his hometown under respected new head trainer John David Jackson.

A host of top fights keep coming on BoxNation when Puerto Rican idol Miguel Cotto takes on former two-time world champion Daniel Geale in a bout that could lead to a superfight for the victor.

Four-weight world champion Cotto has enjoyed a revival under Hall of Fame coach Freddie Roach and is looking more dangerous than ever as he eyes a showdown with Canelo Alvarez should he prevail on June 6th.

Featherweight assassin and reigning WBA Super champion Nicholas Walters will be out a week later on June 13th as he puts his title on the line against knockout king Miguel Marriaga.

The Columbian holds a win over the unbeaten Walters in the amateurs, with the Jamaican hitter out for revenge and looking to continue his fine form that has seen him destroy 2012 Fighter of the Year Nonito Donaire last October.

Top welterweight Tim Bradley is hoping to cement his name at the pinnacle of the 147 pound division but will have his work cut out against rising American Jessie Vargas who goes up against the experienced 31-year-old in his breakout fight.

Vargas is mentored by fight legend Roy Jones Jr, having once trained under the Mayweather banner, and is well aware that a win over Bradley will catapult him to the top of the division.

Plus, on July 11th from the Manchester Velodrome, lightweight Terry Flanagan will have home advantage as he challenges for the vacant WBO world title against Jose Zepeda.

Both men are undefeated but Manchester born Flanagan, with a record of 27-0, will look to capitalise on fighting in front of his home crowd against 25-year-old big-hitting Zepeda, who has knocked out 20 opponents in his 23 wins.

There is even more big-hitting to come on BoxNation when one of the world’s most feared knockout artists Sergey Kovalev defends his prized WBA, WBO and IBF light-heavyweight titles against Frenchman Nadjib Mohammedi.

The 175-pound hitman has made light work of his previous 27 opponents, putting 24 of them to sleep along the way, and will be out to do much of the same against Mohammedi as he eyes a megafight with rival Adonis Stevenson in the near future.

Jim McMunn, Managing Director of BoxNation, said: “BoxNation is enjoying an amazing year with a host of record breaking fights having been screened live and exclusive on the channel. 2015 has already witnessed some unbelievable matchups and things just get better on BoxNation with a jam-packed summer schedule featuring the biggest and best names around. BoxNation continuously looks to deliver the best fights from around the world at a genuinely affordable and value-for-money price for our subscribers. The next few weeks on BoxNation is truly a fight fan’s dream.”

To subscribe to BoxNation (on Sky/Virgin/TalkTalk/ Livesport.tv/Apps) for just £12 a month please visit boxnation.com.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via apps (ios, Android). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

LONDON (May 13) – BoxNation will air the return of Puerto Rican legend and reigning WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto live and exclusive on June 6 as he steps in against former two-time world champion Daniel Geale.

The 34-year-old superstar Cotto will return to New York, where he has enjoyed much success, as he fights for the first time at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn having fought 11- times previously in ‘The Big Apple’.

Against the skilled Geale, however, the Freddie Roach trained Cotto will have to be at his best if he hopes to continue the impressive revival that has been witnessed under the Hall of Fame trainer.

Cotto is regarded as one of boxing’s elite stars and is ready to impress once again, live on BoxNation.

“I am happy and excited to be back in New York and fighting at Barclays Center,” said Cotto. “This is another chapter in my career and I’m committed to train as hard as always and bring a big victory. I’m looking forward to seeing all the Puerto Rican fans on June 6 and to being part of another exciting boxing night in Brooklyn.”

Australian Geale is back in New York following his 3rd round loss to Kazakh assassin Gennady Golovkin but is confident he can reign as champion once again.

“Thanks to Miguel Cotto for the opportunity to become a world champion once again,” said Geale. “I have total respect for Miguel and his achievements, but I can win this fight and that is exactly what I intend to do come June 6 in Brooklyn at Barclays Center.”

Further great news for BoxNation subscribers is that the channel will be bringing two further thrilling cards in June starting with Nicholas Walters versus Miguel Marriaga on June 13 and welterweight ace Tim Bradley facing the crafty Jessie Vargas on June 27.

Known as ‘The Axe Man’, Walters burst onto the scene late last year when the undefeated Jamaican, who has a record of 25 wins with 21 knockouts, stopped 2012 ‘Fighter of the Year’ Nonito Donaire inside six rounds.

The WBA featherweight world champion is ready to get revenge on the unbeaten Marriaga at the fabled Madison Square Garden, with the Colombian holding a win over him in the amateurs having defeated him during the Olympic trials.

“Headlining at Madison Square Garden is every fighter’s dream. I have unfinished business with Miguel Marriaga,” said Walters. “He kept me out of the 2008 Olympics when he beat me in the Americas Olympic Qualifier and I am ready to pay him back. I am going to chop him with the axe.”

“I am happy to be fighting at the legendary Madison Square Garden,” said Marriaga. “I was born to be world champion and come June 13 I will be victorious.”

The card will also feature the golden Puerto Rican lightweight talent Felix Verdejo who takes on an unbeaten prospect like himself in Ivan Najera.

“I know that the fight against Ivan Najera will not be easy,” said Verdejo. “I will prepare myself to the maximum and sacrifice everything in the gym so that on fight night I will be at my best. I am very thankful to Top Rank for giving me these types of opportunities.”

This exciting bill is quickly followed by Bradley’s 12-round matchup with the undefeated Vargas at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, where the victor will be looking to cement themselves as one of the very best in the stacked 147-pound division.

Jim McMunn, Managing Director of BoxNation, said: “After enjoying some amazing nights of boxing in recent weeks live on BoxNation we are delighted to fill our summer schedule with further great matchups. Miguel Cotto is one of boxing’s true superstars so we are very pleased to feature him on the channel once again. The further two cards on June 13 with Nicholas Walters against Miguel Marriaga, and Tim Bradley taking on Jessie Vargas on June 27, ensures that BoxNation continues to deliver the very best fights for boxing fans at a truly exceptional price of just £12 a month.”

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk525) for just £12 a month please visit boxnation.com.

-Ends-
About BoxNation

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

NEW YORK (May 12, 2015) — Undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion NICHOLAS “Axe Man” WALTERS of Jamaica, and the boxing gem of Puerto Rico, undefeated No. 3 world-rated lightweight contender FELIX “El Diamante” VERDEJO will headline, in separate bouts, a world championship card in New York during Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend. With 34 knockout victories between them, fireworks are all but assured for this event which will take place Saturday, June 13, in The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Both will be facing undefeated opponents. Walters, who is in the third year of his championship reign, will defend his world title against Top-10 contender MIGUEL “The Scorpion” MARRIAGA of Colombia. Verdejo, in his live HBO debut, will make the first defense of his newly-won World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino lightweight title against IVAN “Bam Bam” NAJERA, of San Antonio, TX. Both fights will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The four gladiators boast a perfect combined record of 78-0 (60 KOs), which includes a victory by knockout ratio of 77%.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with All Star Boxing, Tecate and Madison Square Garden, tickets to the Walters vs. Marriaga / Verdejo vs. Najera world championship boxing event will go on sale This Friday! May 15, at Noon ET. Priced at $205, $105 and $55, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

“Headlining at Madison Square Garden is every fighter’s dream but to do it on HBO is a tremendous honor,” said Walters. “I have unfinished business with Miguel Marriaga. He kept me out of the 2008 Olympics when he beat me in the Americas Olympic Qualifier and I am ready to pay him back. I am going to chop him with the axe.”

“I am happy to be fighting at the legendary Madison Square Garden,” said Marriaga. “I was born to be world champion and come June 13 I will be victorious. I would like to thank All Star Boxing, Top Rank and the WBA for the opportunity.”

“I am very excited to be fighting in New York once again. The New York area fans have been great and always make me feel like I am home,” said Verdejo. “I know that the fight against Ivan Najera will not be easy. I will prepare myself to the maximum and sacrifice everything in the gym so that on fight night I will be at my best and bring the belt back to Puerto Rico. I am very thankful to Top Rank for giving me these types of opportunities.”

“Verdejo is fast, strong and skilled but he hasn’t fought anyone like me,” said Najera. “This is a big fight and I know it. We are going to train in the high altitude of the mountains near Mexico City. We plan to do a lot of running and conditioning work to get set for this fight at Madison Square Garden, the home of champions. My parents are from Mexico and I feel good about training in Mexico City for the biggest fight of my career. Believe me, I am a whole lot better than all of those Verdejo has already faced in the ring. This is a real fight and I am thrilled that it will be in front of the fans at Madison Square Garden.”

“Only a select few fighters are worthy of headlining at the ‘Mecca Of Boxing’ and Top Rank is proud to present two of them on June 13,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “The mighty Nicholas Walters, who has yet to have a world title fight go to the scorecards, and Felix Verdejo, Puerto Rico’s next big thing and the lineal successor in talent and popularity to his mentor Felix Trinidad, are the perfect boxing complement to Puerto Rican Day Parade Weekend — a partnership we innovated in 2005 and have developed into a highly-anticipated annual event.”

“On June 13, fans who love knockouts should cancel their Saturday night out and plan to watch HBO,” said Peter Nelson, Vice President of programming, HBO Sports. “Combined, Nicholas Walters and Miguel Marriaga have knocked out 87% of their opposition, and now they’ll face each other at Madison Square Garden’s Theater for the featherweight title. In addition, our co-feature spotlights the charismatic Puerto Rican sensation Felix Verdejo against game Mexican-American Ivan Najera in a clash of undefeated prospects.”

Walters (25-0, 21 KOs), from Montego Bay, Jamaica, has won 11 of his last 12 fight by stoppage. He captured the vacant WBA featherweight title on December 12, 2012, knocking out Daulis Presscott (26-1, 19 KOs) in the seventh round. He has successfully defended the title three times — all by knockout — stopping Alberto Garza, former two-division world champion Vic Darchinyan and 2012 Fighter of the Year and former four-division world champion Nonito Donaire in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds, respectively. A former amateur standout who collected gold medals at the 2007 Pan American Games Qualifier III and the 2005 and 2007 Caribbean Championships, Walters is known for his expert boxing skills and movement and two-fisted punching power that are at a caliber of a much higher weight class.

Marriaga (20-0, 18 KOs), from Arjona, Colombia, enters this fight having won 12 of his previous 13 fights by way of knockout with 14 of his 18 knockouts coming in four rounds or less. Fighting mainly in Colombia and Mexico, Marriaga’s sole U.S. bout was last October in Santa Monica, a sixth-round knockout of Christopher Martin in a fight that televised nationally via ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. He is current;y world-rated No. 9 by the World Boxing Council (WBC). This will be the second time he has faced Walters. Marriaga defeated Walters in a 2008 Olympic qualifier.

Verdejo (17-0, 13 KOs), from San Juan, Puerto Rico, ended 2014 as a consensus “Prospect of the Year,” and enters 2015 as a contender to be reckoned with. He returns to the ring having won seven of his last eight fights inside the distance, including his most recent victory, a fifth round knockout of Marco Lopez, on April, 25, for the vacant WBO Latino lightweight title. Already world-rated No. 3 by the WBA, Verdejo, 21, continues to develop into a major gate attraction, producing standing room only crowds every time he fights. A former amateur standout who represented Puerto Rico in the 2012 Olympics, Verdejo has been mentored by Puerto Rican boxing icon and Hall of Fame inductee Felix Trinidad.

Najera (16-0, 8 KOs), from San Antonio, TX, is known for his crowd-pleasing aggressive style of fighting and good punching power. Texas boxing fans have been flocking to his fights because he delivers all-action performances. Najera made his national television debut on February 7, winning a unanimous decision over veteran Robbie Cannon in Najera’s toughest professional fight to date.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #WaltersMarriaga and #VerdejoNajera to join the conversation on Twitter.

Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing wishes to congratulate WBA Super World Featherweight Champion Nicholas “The Axeman” Walters for being named Jamaican Sportsman of the Year at the 54th RJR Sports Foundation National Awards.

29-year-old Walters (25-0, 21 KOs), a native of Montego Bay, Jamaica, had a spectacular 2014, stopping respected champions Vic Darchinyan (TKO 5) and Nonito Donaire (TKO 6).

“Getting sportsman of the year is like getting sportsman of the world,” Walters told reporters at the gala held in his honor.

“We are very proud to be part of “Team Walters” said Leon Margules. “He is a superstar fighter who had his breakout year last year.”

Margules says things will only get better for the Jamaican star.

“This will not be the last time he wins this prestigious award. There are several big fights for Nicholas on the horizon that will further cement him as one of the game’s top fighters.”

# # #

About Warriors Boxing

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to its credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

By Bart Barry–

HOUSTON – Saturday at Carson, Calif.’s StubHub Center, a great fight venue with a moronic name, Jamaican featherweight Nicholas “Axe Man” Walters hacked former world champion Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire to a stump, in the co-main, and stopped him at the end of round 6. It was a case of dessert served before dinner, increasingly common in boxing’s kitchen, as HBO’s main event offered all the competitiveness its 60-to-1 odds promised.

I forewent the trip to California – no fight in which a man hasn’t a chance, not even one that features Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, warrants a flight – and instead sat beside the stage at Houston Improv, where Chicago comedian Corey Holcomb played to a full house.

No regrets here.

“One of the significant fighters, of the last several years, in the lighter weight classes, Nonito Donaire.” That is how HBO commentator Max Kellerman described Donaire a few minutes after the Axe Man felled him without even a “Timber!” Kellerman, straining at his harness not to employ HBO’s stock quotient of hyperbole – Walters, as a Spanish-speaking Jamaican featherweight, is not, after all, nearly so marketable as a middleweight from Kazakhstan – might near as easily been describing his network: “One of the significant broadcasters, of the last few decades, within pay-cable’s limited reach” or prizefighting: “One of the significant sports, of the last 25 years, among Americans’ third-tier diversions.”

It’s instructive how a fighter HBO nearly made its flagship guy just two years ago was now merely significant for a short time among smaller men. It’s an accurate appraisal by Kellerman, exactly right for once; it is both a proper read of what Donaire is and was and, retroactively at least, a proper read of the import HBO’s blessing now carries.

Fortunately for Nicholas Walters, he is not an HBO-blessed fighter. He is a man who chopped his way from Arena Roberto Duran in Panama City, in 2012, to brutal knockout wins over two very good veteran sluggers, Donaire and Vic Darchinyan. What makes Walters’ story special is not that he arrived on American cable fully formed, Gennady Golovkin did that as well, but rather that his full form was tested decisively and immediately: Darchinyan and Donaire represent a quality-of-opponent, in Walters’ two HBO appearances, Golovkin has not approached in thrice that many.

Walters is the son of a prizefighter, and that pedigree tells. Saturday he got overconfident, emboldened so much by his own power he forgot Donaire once separated effortlessly very brave men from their consciousnesses, and he got clipped in round 2 by Donaire’s deservedly celebrated left hook. It hurt Walters and spun him, and had there been another 30 seconds to go in the second, there’s no telling how things might have gone. But given a minute to recuperate, Walters’ incredible conditioning – born of an island, like the Dominican Republic, whose residents’ miraculous feats of athleticism are becoming, ahem, commonplace – Walters resembled no one so much as Floyd Mayweather against Shane Mosely: Hands up, prudence restored, forward marching behind a textbook jab.

Walters’ jab is extraordinarily long, fast, accurate and concussing. Donaire, whose own reflexes are enviable, saw Walters’ jab happening and countered over it successfully in the earliest rounds. By the fourth, though, after he got dropped by the same rear-hand uppercut Walters also dropped Darchinyan with, Donaire couldn’t counter Walters’ jab – because Walters’ jab disrupted Donaire’s equilibrium in a way that obviated reflex. Without a jab or reliable right, Donaire was reduced to his old digs in Left Hook City. Walters anchored his right guard to his cheek, waited for Donaire to put his life behind a left hook, pulled away from that hook, and then dropped an axe blade on Donaire’s left temple. And that was that.

Donaire, now a featherweight, admitted quite frankly afterwards he wanted no part of Walters’ offering, and since he neither wants to be denuded a second time at super bantamweight by Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito is effectively retired, even while he sharpens his pencil, arranges his T-square and readies a protractor for his return to boxing’s ubiquitous drawing board. More interesting, though, was a prefight description of Nonito’s reconciliation with Dad, when both men, according to Nonito, were being “alphas,” and Nonito implored himself to be a man, be strong, be a man, before sobbing uncontrollably once his dad departed.

It was a reminder of a certain debility of spirit about Donaire that long made others a little uncomfortable around him: He was a very good athlete who learned to be a fighter, which of course is different from a man who knows only one way. Or perhaps the point is better made as a question: Do you think Sergey Kovalev gives himself silent peptalks about being a man?

There’s a certain harmony a man has when he enjoys being who he is, and it’s a harmony often more noticeable in its absence, in the dissonance, for example, one senses from Donaire. I was reminded of this Saturday as I watched comedian Corey Holcomb ply his craft. There he sat on Houston Improv’s small stage, in an admittedly ridiculous and sparkly outfit he called “when an old (man) tries to dress young,” entirely relaxed, under the spell of himself, being wildly offensive before an evenly mixed crowd of men and women. Holcomb began with jokes about abortion clinics and moved to jokes about other women – “side pieces,” in the vernacular the comic shares with Paulie Malignaggi – and the illegitimate children that often result, whom Holcomb called “side babies.” It was a routine designed to offend, and performed to appear theatrically oblivious of what offense it caused.

As each of Holcomb’s jokes met with equal parts ribald laughter and hateful silence, Holcomb, with wide eyes and an angelic face, mockingly imitated a man who realized he’d just gone too far – and then went much farther still. An hour of watching Holcomb from ringside, as it were, convinces one of nothing so much as the power a man possesses when he withstands the derision of others, when he is intoxicated enough by himself to alter others’ rejections of him.

It is a different sort of fortitude than what Nicholas Walters showed Saturday, but it is of a piece, a harmony, the way Walters and Holcomb’s type of self-belief forces others to harmonize with them.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Gennady Golovkin thrilled a sold out StubHub Center in Carson, California in the 2nd round of their scheduled 12 round Middleweight championship bout.

Golovkin rocked Rubio at the end of the opening frame from a right. In round two, Golovkin landed a thudding uppercut that drove Rubio to the ropes. A follow up barrage that was finished off by a looping left to the head sent Rubio down for the ten count at

Golovkin, 159 lbs of Kazakhstan is now 31-0 with 28 knockouts. Rubio weighed in 1.8 lbs over the Middleweight limit is now 59-7-1.

Nicholas Walters announced his presence as a top flight Featherweight as Nicholas Walters scored a 6th round stoppage over Nonito Donaire to capture the WBA “Super” Featherweight title.

Donaire struck first as he rocked Walters with a left hook at the end of round two. In round three, Walters landed his own left hook that sent Donaire to the canvas. In round four, Dinaire suffered a cut over his right eye. In roud six, a cut formed over Donaire’s left eye. At the end of the sixth round, Walters landed two thudding right hands with the latter pouncing off the top of Donaire’s head that sent the former Fighter of the Year to the canvas again. Donaire was barely able to get to his feet but referee Raul Caiz stopped the fight at 2:59 of round six.

Walters, 125 1/w lbs of Montigo Bay, JAM is now 25-0 with 21 knockouts. Donaire, 125 1/2 lbs of Philippines is now 33-3.

Edwin Rodriguez scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Azea Augustama in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Scores were 100-90 twice and 99-91 for Rodriguez, 174 3/4 lbs of Worcester, MA and is now 24-1. Augustama. 175 3/4 lbs is now 17-2.

Abraham Han scored a 10-round majority decision over Marcos Reyes in a Super Middleweight bout.

Reyes Dropped Han in round eight but was deducted a point in round for a low blow.

Han, 160 1/2 lbs won by scores of 97-91 twice and 94-94 and is now 23-1. Reyes, 160 3/4 lbs is 32-2.

Gennady Golovkin 159 – Marco Antonio Rubio 161.8
Nonito Donaire 125.6 – Nicholas Walters 125.6

LOS ANGELES (October 15, 2015) — World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight champions NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE and NICHOLAS “The Axe Man” WALTERS collide This Saturday! in a WBA featherweight title unification showdown at a sold-out StubHub! Center in Carson, Calif. The fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will also feature WBA/IBO middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin defending his titles against World Boxing Council (WBC) interim middleweight champion Marco Antonio “El Veneno” Rubio. Golovkin vs. Rubio and its undercard are presented by K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions, in association with Promociones Del Pueblo.

Donaire and Walters boast a combined record of 57-2 (41 KOs) — a winning percentage of 97% and a victory by knockout ratio of 72%. When it comes to these two world featherweight champions, “You could have knocked me over with a feather,” is more than just a figure of speech!

NONITO DONAIRE

“Confident fighters are dangerous fighters. I know that. But there other fighters who said before a fight they were stronger than me, hit harder, were going to knock me out.

“Walters is a good champion but really how many quality fights has he been in compared to where I have been in my career?

“We both have speed, we both have power. It’s an explosive fight. This is going to end in a knockout. I will go into the ring and do my best.”

NICHOLAS WALTERS

“Donaire is a very good champion. We both have speed and power. The difference is intelligence. I was born to fight. The bigger the fight the better.

“If Donaire isn’t right, he’s going to get knocked out. Maybe five rounds, maybe less. Not sure yet.

“But you know what? Donaire stepped up and took this fight. He didn’t have to. For that, I respect him for getting in the ring with me.”

******************************

For Donaire vs. Walters fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #DonaireWalters to join the conversation on Twitter.

In two short years, middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin has built a powerhouse reputation with East Coast fans thanks to an intriguing array of skills, highlighted by stunning knockout power, becoming perhaps the sport’s most feared fighter.

Now, he takes aim at the West Coast in his first Los Angeles-area prizefight when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: GENNADY GOLOVKIN VS. MARCO ANTONIO RUBIO AND NONITO DONAIRE VS. NICHOLAS WALTERS is seen SATURDAY, OCT. 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT from StubHub Center in Carson, Cal., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Oct. 19 (8:30 a.m.) and 21 (1:05 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Oct. 19 (4:00 p.m.) and 20 (12:15 a.m.)

In his 12th middleweight crown defense, Gennady Golovkin (30-0, 27 KOs), originally from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, and now training at Big Bear, Cal., meets the dangerous Marco Antonio Rubio (59-6-1, 51 KOs) of Torreon, Mexico in a scheduled 12-round contest. Currently boasting a knockout victory streak of 17, Golovkin has taken the boxing world by storm with an extraordinary knockout-to-win ratio of 90%, and no opponent has gone the distance with him since Nov. 2008. He’s trained by the highly regarded Abel Sanchez.

Rubio, who trains in Oxnard, Cal. with the accomplished Robert Garcia, has never backed away from a challenge. A veteran of bouts with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Kelly Pavlik, David Lemieux, Frankie Randall and Kassim Ouma, he brings a wealth of major-league experience into the ring.

Opening the telecast is a compelling featherweight title matchup pitting Nonito Donaire (33-2, 21 KOs) against Nicholas Walters (24-0, 20 KOs) in a 12-round battle. A native of the Philippines who’s currently based in San Leandro, Cal., Donaire was the 2012 BWAA Fighter of the Year. Having earned world titles in four different weight classes, he now puts his new 126-pound crown on the line. Walters, who hails from Jamaica, is widely viewed as a talented fighter.

Immediately after the live boxing action from Carson, HBO Sports will present the one-episode special “24/7 Hopkins/Kovalev” at approximately 12:15 a.m.

At 12:45 a.m. the HBO Latino service will present a doubleheader of HBO Latino Boxing action from StubHub Center. Headlining a 10-round light heavyweight battle will be Edwin Rodriguez and Azea Augustama and in the opening bout it’s a 10-round middleweight clash with Marcos Reyes squaring off with Abie Han.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

By Bart Barry–

Saturday at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., in a co-main event broadcast by HBO and certain to be more entertaining than what follows it, Jamaican featherweight titlist Nicholas “The Axe Man” Walters will fight “Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire in a WBA unification match – being that both men already have WBA featherweight titles.

Much as happened two summers ago in Dallas, when Terence Crawford looked decisively the better prizefighter at what was intended by HBO to be a Mikey Garcia showcase, 11 months ago in Corpus Christi, at what was intended to be the first steps on a path to rejuvenation for Nonito Donaire, after the birth of his child got him unswaddled by Guillermo Rigondeaux, the evening’s most impressive performance was not in the main event or even part of HBO’s broadcast. Instead, that night, in a climate that managed, still, to be sticky in November, the man who impressed most at American Bank Center was a Panama-trained Jamaican in his U.S. debut.

Nicholas “Axe Man” Walters did everything a little bit harder than expected, three matches before the main event, from swinging his invisible axe during introductions to punching Mexican Alberto Garza to smiling through his menacing postfight celebration. In a surprise bit of enthusiasm, promoter Bob Arum nodded excitedly on the apron afterward, even calling down to pressrow: “He hits hard!”

That the Axe Man does. He is long for a 126-pounder, too, quite long, and he is both more awkward and more skilled than his occasional gangliness betrays. He turns his punches over with ferocity and the tall man’s advantage of keeping his chin far from perilousness even as he imperils opponents. Vic Darchinyan, a much better technician than once believed, could not swim his way to Walters’ chin in four rounds of trying in May and finally rushed at last resorts and got knocked silly by Walters who, if he catches you turning into a punch, as he caught Darchinyan, has outage power.

Walters is marvelously well schooled, too, in a way subverted by his knockout ratio and his ringside prop, a carvedwood axe; against the southpaw Darchinyan, Walters used the length of his legs still more than the length of his arms to neutralize Darchinyan’s charges, causing Darchinyan’s feet to get tangled on his second and third step, two of every three passes. It was the type of cagey, veteran stuff one does not expect the first time he sees a man in a televised fight, which made it extra enjoyable.

Saturday Walters will fight Nonito Donaire in the co-main of what appears a good card at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Donaire is something of a symbol for HBO 3.0, the failed startup that happened after Ross Greenburg was sent looking for other opportunities at Showtime. Before the network realized there were fighters raised in the Soviet system and not named Klitschko, before Gennady Golovkin and Sergey Kovalev carried HBO’s 2014 Fall Calendar, in other words, the network casted about for someone it could prematurely declare great and put in non-pay-per-view showcase matches, and Top Rank happily fed it a prodigal son named Nonito.

Goodness but HBO had to lug this kid about: Nonito loves fashion, Nonito is Filipino – like Manny! – Nonito knocked out “The Raging Bull” with one punch, Nonito is PED free, Nonito is the fighter of the year because Nonito does not take PEDs! Before it all felt like such a dreadful ruse, aficionados stared intently at their screens, ready for Nonito’s greatness to knock them sideways in a flash of (Filipino) light, and instead got Nonito making an unwatchable mess with Argentine survivor Omar Narvaez in 2011, Nonito hurting his hand against Wilfredo Vazquez Jr, Nonito hopping about like an enkindled finch against Jeffrey Mathebula, Nonito dropping Toshiaki “Is Japanese for Cash-Out” Nishioka, and finally Nonito whupping Jorge Arce into his first retirement – to finish 2012.

Declared that year’s best fighter, and in retrospect it should have been a sign of all the badness to come that beating four guys with an aggregate of 14 career losses got a guy declared Fighter of the Year, Donaire talked a whole lot about becoming a father before his April 2013 match with the Cuban master Guillermo Rigondeaux, and then Rigondeaux handled Donaire so thoroughly that, in an instant, the boxing community collectively sighed, congratulated Nonito on fatherhood, and redirected the lot of its premature-greatness rhapsody towards Mikey Garcia.

Whatever came of Mikey anyway, you’re wondering, and the answer shall be revealed someday, one imagines. Why don’t we hear about that kid anymore, you’re also wondering, and that answer can be revealed directly: Gennady “GGG” Golovkin!

With all of Nonito’s charm, though interestingly never a whisper about VADA testing, and none of Mikey’s Oxnardian rebelliousness, Golovkin has supplanted both Nonito and Mikey as the prizefighter most likely to endanger a commentator’s descriptions with hyperbole overdose. And get this: Golovkin is older than both Donaire and Garcia, despite being discovered after them.

Golovkin is also dining on Mexican, Saturday, in HBO’s main event, when Marco Antonio Rubio, a man beaten soundly by “Son of the Legend” Julio Cesar Chavez Jr 32 months ago, will be brought to Golovkin’s table in Carson missing only an apple in his mouth. Far more sporting than anything to come in the ring during the main event will be the straining that goes on at ringside, as HBO’s promotional crew tries to convince viewers Rubio, the very same guy stretched in one round by Kofi Jantuah 10 years ago, has a granitic chin, moments before GGG performs the impossible feat of scoring an eighth-round corner stoppage on the unstoppable Mexican.

Saturday’s broadcast will illustrate elegantly the difference between an athletic contest and a promotional spectacle, with Walters and Donaire providing the former.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

LOS ANGELES (September 19, 2014) — Top Rank® announced today that 2012 Fighter of the Year and four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE and undefeated world champion NICHOLAS “The Axe Man” WALTERS will battle it out to determine the undisputed World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight world champion. Donaire vs. Walters will take place Saturday, October 18, at StubHub! Center in Carson, Calif. It will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will also feature WBA/IBO middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin defending his titles against World Boxing Council (WBC) interim middleweight champion Marco Antonio “El Veneno” Rubio. Golovkin vs. Rubio and its undercard are presented by K2 Promotions and GGG Promotions, in association with Promociones Del Pueblo

Donaire and Walters boast a combined record of 57-2 (41 KOs) — a winning percentage of 97% and a victory by knockout ratio of 72%. When it comes to these two world featherweight champions, “You could have knocked me over with a feather,” is more than just a figure of speech!

“I am very excited for this fight. We are doing everything we can to be ready for everything Walters brings on October 18,” said Donaire.

“This is my dream fight. It’s now the time to show everyone who is the best 126 pound world champion in the entire world,” declared Walters.

“The featherweight division has a rich history with epic matchups, said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “Nonito Donaire and Nicholas Walters are two of the great champions in the division today. This promises to be an entertaining, exciting world title unification battle.”

“Nonito Donaire is a four-division world champion and former fighter of the year, who always delivers for fans by challenging the toughest competition, which is precisely what he’ll be facing when he fights undefeated power-puncher Nicholas Walters in a superb featherweight championship co-feature on October 18 at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA, live on HBO World Championship Boxing,” said Peter Nelson, vice president, programming, HBO Sports.

Donaire (33-2, 21 KOs), a native of General Santos City, Philippines, now living in Las Vegas, has been a consensus Top-10 pound-for-pound fighter for several years. He returned to the top of the mountain as a world champion in his last fight, on May 31, at The Venetian Macao, dethroning defending WBA featherweight champion Simphiwe Vetyeka via a vicious five-round technical decision. His banner year in 2012 included four world championship victories. He beat former world champion Israel Vazquez, Jr. to capture the vacant WBO junior featherweight title, then unified the title by defeating IBF junior featherweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula. Donaire collected his third belt of the year by knocking out WBC Diamond Belt super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka, ending Nishioka’s eight-year, 16-bout, winning streak. Donaire concluded his magnificent year by blasting out Mexican icon Jorge Arce in the third round and sealing his 2012 Fighter of the Year honors while extending his 12-year, 30-bout winning streak. He lost his title to undefeated Cuban sensation and WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux in a title unification bout at a sold-out Radio City Music Hall on April 13, 2013. Career highlights for Donaire also include knockout victories of defending IBF flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko, and defending WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel, ending Montiel’s 25-bout winning streak. That victory was named the 2011 Knockout of the Year. Donaire’s ended 2013 with a ninth-round knockout victory of Darchinyan in their eagerly-awaited rematch. Donaire has held a world title every year dating back to 2007. Three of his last four victories have been by way of knockout.

Walters (24-0, 20 KOs), of Montego Bay, Jamaica, enters this fight having won 10 of his last 11 fights by knockout. He captured the vacant WBA featherweight title on December 12, 2012, knocking out Daulis Presscott (26-1, 19 KOs) in the seventh round. He has successfully defended the title twice — both by knockout — stopping Alberto Garza and former two-division world champion Vic Darchinyan in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively. A former amateur standout who collected gold medals at the 2007 Pan American Games Qualifier III and the 2005 and 2007 Caribbean Championships, Walters is known for his expert boxing skills and movement and two-fisted punching power that are at a caliber of a much higher weight class.

Remaining tickets to the Golovkin-Rubio/ Donaire-Walters world championship doubleheader, priced at $210, $105, $53 and $27, plus applicable service charges, are available online at www.AXS.com, by phone at 888-9AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and www.StubHubCenter.com. Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. PT, with the first bell scheduled for 3:15 p.m. PT.

For Donaire vs. Walters fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #DonaireWalters to join the conversation on Twitter.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.con, Nonito Donaire will fight undefeated Nicholas Walters on October as part of the Gennady Golovkin – Marco Antonio Rubio card in Carson, California.

“Even before this fight was made the response we’ve gotten to Gennady’s fight with Rubio has been incredible. There has been a great response. This just makes the show even bigger and better,” said K2 Promotions Tom Loeffler, who formally announced Golovkin-Rubio at a Los Angeles news conference on Wednesday, but couldn’t announce Donaire-Walters because the deal with Top Rank was not agreed to until several hours later.

“They are both Top Rank fighters, but we wanted to make the best fight possible even if it didn’t involve our fighters (in the co-feature),” Loeffler said. “This fight adds a lot of value to Gennady’s fight with Rubio.”

“These guys want to fight and we want them to fight, so this was a good spot for them,” said Top Rank’s Carl Moretti. “The fight is agreed to and the paperwork is going out. It’s a terrific fight. It’s Walters’ relative youth versus Donaire’s experience. Walters is a strong, younger, hungry fighter. Donaire is an established pound-for-pound fighter, one of the biggest names in the sport still. It’s not like Donaire hasn’t faced guys like this before. We know Donaire has been there before. Now we’ll see what Walters can do on this kind of big stage.”