By Steve Kim
Heading into his June 13 clash with Miguel Marriaga, Nicholas Walters was the reigning WBA featherweight champion. That status changed the day before the fight, as he failed to scale in at 126-pounds and was stripped of that title.
He would go on to defeat Marriaga that Saturday in New York City, leaving with his unbeaten record but without his belt intact.
There was back-and-forth discussion about whether or not he'd try to stay at featherweight. It looks like Walters(26-0, 21KOs) will now campaign in the 130 lb. division; his next fight could be coming against a familiar name.
"We're going to make a match before the end of the year at 130-pounds, Nicholas Walters against Yuriorkis Gamboa,"said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, whose company Top Rank handles the 29-year old 'Axe Man' from Jamaica.
Gamboa(24-1, 17KO's) the talented Cuban was last seen on the big stage on June 28th, 2014 and was stopped in nine rounds by Terence Crawford in what was an exciting bout between unbeaten lightweights.
He returned last November in Cancun, Mexico where he scored a sixth round TKO of Joel Montes de Oca. The bout was his last; his promoter, 50 Cent's SMS Promotions has since filed for bankruptcy, leaving all of its fighters either on hold or attempting to get out of contract.
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.