By Jhonny Gonzalez
Featherweight contender Nicholas Walters (21-0, 17KOs) and his manager Jacques Deschamps are not surprised with Monday's announcement by Celestino Caballero (36-4, 23KOs), who vacated the WBA "regular" championship. Walters is the mandatory challenger to the title and the World Boxing Association ordered Caballero to fight him.
Canelo Promotions, appearing on behalf of Walters' team, submitted the minimum bid of $120,000 dollars to win the WBA's purse bid. With a 75-25 split in favor of the champion, Caballero would have received $90,000. Caballero was not satisfied with the $90,000 purse and he wasn't happy about Walters' camp moving forward to stage the event on a December date in Kingston.
Walter will now face the WBA's highest available contender for the vacant title. The purse will now be split 50-50, with Walters receiving $60,000.
"Nicholas would have liked to beat him, but he will now have to prepare for a different opponent. He is training hard and is looking forward to fighting in Jamaica in December," Deschamps told The Gleamer. "That is what really matters to him, to be fighting for the world title in front of his Jamaican boxing fans."
