Two of the world’s best featherweights go toe-to-toe this coming Saturday as WBA “super” featherweight champion Nonito Donaire and WBA “regular” featherweight champion Nicholas Walters collide in a WBA unification title fight at StubHub! Center in Carson, California.
Both fighters are coming off emphatic victories last May in Macau and a win on Saturday will help determine once and for all who is the best featherweight boxer in the world today. Read on for a complete preview of this matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the WBA middleweight showdown between Gennady Golovkin and Marco Antonio Rubio here.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]Nonito Donaire vs. Nicholas Walters, WBA Featherweight Championship Match, Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: StubHub! Center, Carson, California
When: Saturday, October 18, 2014
Line: Nonito Donaire vs. Nicholas Walters – view all Boxing lines
Betting on Nonito Donaire
Two years ago, Nonito Donaire (33-2, 21 KOs) was climbing the pound-for-pound charts at a furious rate. He registered four world championship victories in 2012, defeating Israel Vazquez, Jeffrey Mathebula, Toshiaki Nishioka and Jorge Arce in a banner season that earned him Fighter of the Year honors.
[sc:Other240banner ]All of that momentum came to a sudden halt when he lost to Cuban sensation Guillermo Rigondeaux in April last year and he has been on a mission since then to return to the top of the boxing world once again.
Donaire will get a chance to do just that when he battles Nicholas Walters for the WBA featherweight title next Saturday. The 31-year-old is coming off a tough victory over Simpiwe Vetyeka where he overcame an accidental headbutt in the first round to record a fifth-round technical decision win. With the victory, the Filipino Flash grabbed the WBA featherweight belt and in the process became a four-division world champion (five if you include interim titles).
With his right eye blurring because of the headbutt, Donaire stepped up the aggression in the third round hurting Vetyeka with a right hand. He continued to pile on the pressure in the fourth round where he knocked the South African down with a powerful left hook. The referee deemed it necessary to stop the fight a second into the fifth round with Donaire’s cut in pretty bad shape.
All the judges scored the bout 49-46 in favor of Donaire but the Bohol native was still not satisfied with the way the fight transpired. Talks of a rematch were quickly hatched but that didn’t go into fruition. Instead, Donaire will face one of his toughest foes yet in featherweight champion Nicholas Walters.
Walters has tremendous power scoring 20 knockouts in his 24 matches so far. Even though Donaire’s camp is aware of the Jamaican’s punching power, they are confident that they have the strategy to counter Walters’ aggressive style.
“That’s good [if he attacks] it will be easier for Junjun (Donaire Jr.) to find an opening,” Nonito Donaire Sr. (trainer) said. “Junjun did very well in sparring against Stan Martyniouk who is bigger and taller than him.”
Donaire has already proven to be a great counter-puncher, knocking out famous fighters such as Vic Darchinyan, Jorge Arce and Israel Vazquez. He has already scored 21 knockouts out of his 33 wins. The only question now is can he bring that power to the heavier featherweight division where he is fighting for just the third time.
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Betting on Nicholas Walters
WBA regular featherweight champion Nicholas Walters (24-0, 20 KOs) didn’t mince words when asked about his upcoming title fight with fellow featherweight champion Donaire. He said, “I am very hungry and I am confident I will defeat Nonito Donaire. I believe I’ll knock him out in five or six rounds.”
And with that, the stage is set for an action-packed showdown between two of the top featherweight boxers in the world today.
Walters has every right to feel confident heading into the big fight considering that he is undefeated in 24 matches as a professional. He has knocked out 83 percent of his opponents and he needed only 12 rounds to finish off his first five fights.
He is entering this match having won 10 of his last 11 fights by way of knockout. He is coming off a devastating fifth-round knockout win over Vic Darchinyan where he dropped the Raging Bull with a vicious left hook to retain his featherweight belt.
Walters’ size and speed was too much for the 38-year-old boxer who was clearly past his prime in this fight. He was relentless right from the opening bell and knocked down the Armenian in the second round before delivering the killer blow in the fifth round to retain the title for the second time.
He will have his hands full, however, this coming Saturday as he battles the WBA “super” featherweight champion in Nonito Donaire. In his 24 fights as a professional, he has not met a fighter in the caliber of Donaire.
Walters, however, will have the size advantage against Donaire with the Jamaican (5’7″) being an inch taller than the Filipino boxer. He also has a five-inch reach advantage over Donaire who is accustomed to having that edge when he was still fighting in the smaller divisions. The Jamaican is also three years younger than Donaire so his body has been subjected to fewer battles in the past.
With Donaire’s punching power not yet tested in the featherweight ranks, expect Walters to pressure the Filipino boxer right from the get-go. In fact, Walters has already alluded to that point in an interview before the fight saying “I am ready to box because I don’t think Nonito is coming to fight. I wish he does, to get it over with.
Writer’s Prediction
Donaire wins by split decision.
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