Nicholas Walters-Miguel Marriaga: Pre-Fight Report Card

by Cliff Rold

Belts come and go. Usually, they go in the ring. Sometimes, it happens on the scale. We’ve still got a title fight Saturday night on HBO (10 PM EST/PST) but only one man can win it.

WBA titlist Nicholas Walters, widely seen as the current division leader at 126 lbs., missed the limit on Friday and what that means for the main event remains to be seen. In what already looked like a fight with big spoiler potential after a bust-out 2014 for Walters, will Walters be so drained from the effort to come down the scale that it affects his performance?

Or is this the latest case of a fighter who couldn’t make the limit and will now benefit from the day-before-weigh-in failsafe of rehydration? Is it challenger Manuel Marriaga now at a potentially serious competitive disadvantage after holding up his end of the bargain?

Could it be none of these questions matter and we just end up with a good fight?

Let’s go the report card.

Nicholas Walters

Age:

29

Titles:

None (Lost title on the scales)

Previous Titles:

WBA Featherweight (2012-15, 3 Defenses; defeated “Super” champion in most recent fight to become the genuine WBA champion)

Height:

5’7  


Weight:

127.6 lbs.

Hails from:

Montego Bay, Jamaica



Record:

25-0, 21 KO



Rankings:

#1 (BoxingScene, TBRB, ESPN, Ring, BoxRec)

Record in Major Title Fights:

4-0, 4 KO


Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced:

2 (Vic Darchinyan KO5; Nonito Donaire TKO6)

Vs.

Age:

28

Title:

1st Title Opportunity (can still win now vacant title belt)

Previous Titles:

None

Height:

5’7

Weight:

125.2 lbs.

Hails from:

Cartagena, Colombia

Record:

20-0, 18 KO)


Rankings:

Unrated

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced:

0

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Walters A; Marriaga B

This is one of those fights that, based on what we’ve seen of both men, looks thrilling. It’s also, based on what we’ve seen of both men, terribly difficult to figure. Walters, with his wins over Darchinyan and Donaire, has clearly faced and bested the better men. Marriaga’s biggest name win is gatekeeper Christopher Martin.

Walters wins on resume.

Resumes don’t throw punches.

In the Martin fight, and other footage of Marriaga, certain attributes stand out. His power is legitimate (the only fighter to stop Martin) and he’s skilled. He has good head movement and doesn’t seem to get outside himself. The hook to the body sets up solid combinations upstairs.

And Marriaga is quick. Speed could be where this duel of knockout punchers gets decided.

Walters, like Marriaga, is a skilled battler. He outboxed as well as outfought Donaire. It was Donaire’s speed that made it interesting early. Donaire wobbled Walters but couldn’t follow up and the bigger man took over. Walters, even missing the limit, won’t enjoy the same size edge he had over Darchinyan and Donaire. Marriaga is a career Featherweight who has fought higher on the scale. Both men will likely rehydrate to above the Lightweight limit.

They each vary their tempo, neither fighting at the same speed all the time. Marriaga keeps his hands moving, picking spots for his more explosive blows. Walters makes his shots count but isn’t reckless. He’s got canny timing to go with a large frame.

Will their amateur history be any sort of guide? While neither man made the 2008 Olympics, it was Marriaga who eliminated Walters in regional America’s qualification. The amateurs are often a game where the quicker man is better served. Without footage, it’s hard to say what that edge looked like then.

We’ll know what it looks like now soon enough.

In terms of intangibles, we know Walters can seize his opportunities. He’s shown whiskers and the ability to stop men coming forward or countering inside. We can’t say the same with authority about Marriaga because his opportunity just arrived but his killer instinct is clear.  

The Pick

Before Walters stepped on the scale, the pick here was an upset. It stays that way heading into Saturday night. Marriaga hasn’t been tested yet and maybe he doesn’t have the whiskers. One never knows on that until they do. Let’s assume he can take it. If he can, he has the tools. Marriaga is quicker, patient, and has subtle defensive skill. Like Walters, he can crack but he appears more refined. His shots are shorter and that could matter if he can back Walters up. Walters will have his chances. The long armed favorite here can box and whips shots around in exchanges that are hard to defend against. The guess here is that Marriaga lands between those blows and scores the arrival stoppage in a fan friendly battle.

Report Card and Staff Picks 2015: 44-10 (Including staff pick for Lara-Rodriguez) 

Cliff’s Notes…

HBO isn’t the only game in town Saturday even if the network debut of hopeful future star Felix Verdejo is getting enough ink to be its own show…On Showtime, there is a long night ahead on both their Extreme outlet (7 PM EST) and the main network (9 PM EST)…their best fight might be on the earlier run. A pick ‘em on paper, Lightweight Dejan Zlaticanin (20-0, 13 KO) has shown upset chops and will impress on the road. He’s the pick to upend Ivan Redkach (18-0 14 KO) in a good fight…On the primary undercard, at Jr. Lightweight, Jose Pedraza (19-0, 12 KO) has a test ahead. Andrey Klimov (19-1, 9 KO) is fundamentally sound but Pedraza is quicker and seems to fight with more desire. It should be enough to win a vacant IBF belt…The Showtime main event is a showcase first title defense for WBC Heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder (33-0, 32 KO). As a fight, it stinks and Eric Molina (23-2, 17 KO) is one of the worst title challengers, on paper, ever at Heavyweight. Wilder, who beat his share of the Willie Standup variety, has a serious mandatory looming with Alexander Povetkin. His hometown fans can soak this one in before they do some nail biting (hopefully) later this year.

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at