Walters rebounds to cop FedeLatin title
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) — Unbeaten Jamaican Nicholas Walters rebounded from an eighth-round knockdown to defeat the Dominican Republic’s Carlos Manuel Reyes on points to win the vacant FedeLatin featherweight title on Friday night.
In a competitive clash of unbeaten fighters at the Karibe Convention Centre, Walters showed good quality to fend off a determined challenge by Reyes, winning clearly on all the judges’ score cards.
With the victory in the World Boxing Association (WBA) sanctioned event, Panama-based Walters improved his ring record to 13-0 with 10 knockouts while Reyes slipped to 13 wins (7 knockouts) against one loss.
Coming off a four-month injury lay-off, Walters held the upper-hand in the early rounds but Reyes rallied well in the middle rounds and floored the 23-year-old Jamaican in round eight.
Walters responded courageously from the setback and was strong in the closing rounds, pleasing manager and co-promoter Jacques Deschamps.
“He was good, you could see that after the surgery and the four-month lay-off he was a bit rusty, but he has improved, and now we know he can go 12 rounds,” Deschamps told CMC Sport.
Walters suffered a fractured right hand in August when he knocked out Colombian Ernesto Vasquez in Panama.
The former Caribbean amateur championship gold medallist needed surgery and although he suffered discomfort in both hands during Friday night’s contest, Deschamps was very satisfied with the outing.
“I am very happy with his performance. He is definitely improving. He has much better defence, showing better use of the jab and a lot more lateral movement,” Deschamps said.
As the new FedeLatin champion at 126 pounds, Walters is expected to secure a top 15 world ranking with the WBA.
He is scheduled to travel home to Jamaica on Monday for the Christmas holidays before returning to Panama for training.
In the co-main event on the card, former European Union champion, French-Haitian boxer Jimmy Colas, defeated the Dominican Republic’s Junior Ramos on a third round knockout for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Latino light middleweight title.
