Older, wiser Axeman returns

FORMER WORLD super featherweight champion, Jamaica’s Nicholas ‘The Axeman’ Walters, will return to the ring on March 8 when he fights Mexican Luis Torres over 10 rounds at the Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. This will be the co-feature bout on the card, which has its main bout, a clash between Joel Gonzales and Arnold Khegai.

Walters, who has been fighting infrequently, took a long break from the sport after his devastating loss to the brilliant Ukranian, Vasiliy Lomachenko, against whom he quit in the seventh round of their WBO junior lightweight title fight, on November 26, 2016. He returned to the ring on February 25, 2023 and scored an impressive points win over Colombian Luis Diaz Marmol, in Colombia.

He had two victories after that, scoring a second-round tko victory over Reynaldo Esquivia on November 22, 2023, and then a points win over Joseph Adomo, on March 27, 2024.

Speaking to The Gleaner recently from his training camp in Las Vegas, Nevada, he said that he was ready to go once more and is looking for an impressive victory over his much younger opponent. Torres is 23 years old and has an impressive 20-1 record. Walters, on the other hand, is now a hard-working, 39-year-old veteran, and goes into the ring with a still impressive 29-1-1 record.

Assessing his chances against his younger opponent, Walters told The Gleaner that he was going into the ring very confident after several months of hard training.

“I am in great shape and have put in a lot of work,” he said. He is therefore going into the battle, well prepared, and said further,”I know that he is coming into the fight very confident, but I am planning to make it a very difficult night for him. I have been in the ring with some of the best boxers in the world and, when I get into the ring, I don’t feel my age, in fact I don’t think about age.

“I am going in there to win, as I do not have many more years to fight. I still remember all the tricks that made me a world champion and there is still a lot of power in my punches. It is now or never for me, and I am well prepared for the challenge”.

He then continued, “after I win this fight, yes I am going to win, I want to have another fight in say another two-three months, and no one knows what will happen after that. I really want to be a world champion again.” He then went on to say, “my trainer Jaime Moreno believes that I can do it and he is pushing me hard. I also believe in myself and, on March 8, I plan to put on a good show. I am doing this, not only for myself, but also for my fans, especially those in Jamaica, who still believe in me.”

The fight will be televised by Pro Box TV.