By Ian S Palmer
Undefeated WBA Featherweight Champion Nicholas Walters of Jamaica will be defending his title against undefeated Miguel Marriaga of Colombia at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, June 13th. The 12-round contest can be seen live in the U.S. and Canada on HBO while fans in the U.K. can catch all of the action on BoxNation. This is Walters’ fourth defence of the vacant title he took when beating Daulis Prescott in 2012 and he’s facing an opponent who reportedly beat him as an amateur back in 2008. However, the WBA is listing this fight for its ‘Super’ World Featherweight Title.
The 29-year-old Walters of Montego Bay, will climb into the ring with a perfect record of 25-0 with 21 Kos to his name. The 28-year-old Marriaga of Cartagena, also has a perfect mark and just as much power as he’s 20-0 and has racked up 18 Kos. Walters hasn’t fought since stopping five-division champion and former pound-for-pound contender Nonito Donaire in the sixth round last October. He also stopped former champ Vic Darchinyan in a title defence last May. Marriaga’s last fight came in December when he beat Carlos Fernando Perez Martinez by a third-round stoppage.
Walters stands 5-feet-7-inches tall and has a wingspan of 73 inches while Marriaga is also 5-foot-7 and has an unlisted reach. Walters turned pro back in 2008 and has fought 115 rounds while Marriaga has 86 rounds under his belt since 2009. Both boxers have some dynamite in their fists as Walters’ knockout ratio is 84 percent and Marriaga’s stands at 90 per cent. This is another fight in which both fighter’s power will lead fans to think it will end in a stoppage somewhere along the line.
Walters is also a good boxer though and has quite a reach at 73 inches for a featherweight. His long arms enable him to establish a stinging jab and he’s also able to control the distance against his opponents. Marriaga will have some confidence due to their amateur meetings and he brings aggressiveness and heart to the fight. He likes to initiate the action while moving forward and throws power shots to the head and body when he’s within firing range. He doesn’t use his jab all that well and that could cost him here.
Look for the challenger to apply the pressure on Walters and for the champion to use his reach advantage to create some space. Once Walters has that space he’ll be able to extend his arms fully and throw his power punches. He knows this won’t be an easy bout and he’s likely going to have to eat some leather along the way. Since both fighters have exceptional power their chins are also going to be crucial in this contest.
Prediction
This is a fine matchup between a pair of unbeaten boxers who are familiar with each other. Marriaga may have beaten Walters back in 2008 as an amateur, but the pro game is quite a bit different. Look for the challenger to have his moments due to his high-pressure style, but Walters should eventually get into a rhythm and keep his crown by decision or late stoppage.
