Nicholas Walters Hopes to Spring a Title Run at Lightweight
Nicholas “Axe Man” Walters (29-1-1, 22 KOs) showed that at age 38, he still has the pepper during his unanimous win over Joseph “Blessed Hands” Adorno. With this win in the fold, Walters hopes it’s the catalyst to what he hopes is one last world title run, this time in the lightweight division.
But the one-time WBA featherweight champion was the busier and hungrier fighter throughout and dug deep in the late rounds to secure the victory. It was an impressive performance from Walters when you consider his age, and it was just his second fight in the last seven years.
FLIPPING THE SCRIPT
Walters’s goal is a world title at 135. The question is: how far can he rise in the lightweight division? At 126, he used his size and physicality to bully and bludgeon opponents. That wasn’t the case against Adorno, as Walters showed off his ring IQ and well-rounded boxing skills.
What the Jamaican native showed against Adorno must be his formula to succeed at this higher division. Walters will not be able to overpower the top fighters at 135. Instead, it will be a battle of skill and guile over power and brute force. The win over Adorno earned Axe Man a minor WBA title, which should result in him appearing in the WBA world lightweight rankings in the next few months.
Many in the boxing community view the veteran as someone over the hill. In truth, the prospect of him winning another world title looks like a longshot. But in boxing, never count out an experienced veteran with a world-championship pedigree. At the very least, the victory over Adorno showed that Axe Man is still a hungry fighter on a mission with something to prove.
