In this interview special from ?On The Ropes? boxing radio, I speak with one of the break out stars of 2014, Super WBA featherweight champion, Nicholas Walters. Walters is coming off his dominant victory over multi division world champion, Nonito Donaire. Nicholas talks to me about his performance and what he would like to do next in his career. ?The Axeman? also gives his views on the current boxing landscape, talking about boxing stars Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Additionally Walters shares his thoughts on what kind of a fight Mayweather-Pacquiao would be. Here is what Nicholas Walters had to say.
Jenna J: You recently broke out into the boxing scene, you knocked out Nonito Donaire last month. What were your thoughts on that fight?
Nicholas Walters: Sometimes in life if you?re on the top of your sport, you know you?re gonna get recognition. It?s just my time, it couldn?t be a better time to display my talent on HBO against a quality boxer like Nonito. The timing was perfect, I?ve been waiting a long time for the opportunity and he gave the opportunity and as I said, I made use of the opportunities. Whenever I get the chance to shine that?s what I do, I shine.
Jenna J: In the second round of that bout you got hurt. How hurt were you in that fight by Donaire?
Nicholas Walters: We did six rounds and he only caught me once and he?s a super top class fighter and he only caught me once during the fight in the second round. What happened is that I got a little bit careless by the end of the second round. I was scoring a lot of shots and he wasn?t responding so I clearly thought that I could have had my way but he?s a very good fighter and you have to be careful because the fight is not ended until the referee stops the fight.
In reality I was getting a little bit careless and he caught me at the end of the second round. Even though I was hurt for a minute, but in walking over to my corner I recuperated fully when I reached back over to my team.
Jenna J: Now that you?ve accomplished what you have, people want to see you back in the ring. When do you see yourself getting back into the ring?
Nicholas Walters: I?m just waiting on my managers and my handlers to give me the information. I?ll get ready whenever they have a card for. Whenever they have a show, I?ll be ready. I?m already in the gym working out, maintaining my weight and everything. I love boxing, I never cheat the sport, I?m always in diligent training working out.
I enjoy the sport and it is my career so I definitely take it seriously, that?s what I do. I?m always in the gym working out and always training hard. I don?t know who my next opponent is but whoever it is, I?m always getting ready for the next opponent.
Jenna J: I want to get your views on the boxing landscape a little bit. What are your thoughts on boxing?s biggest star, Floyd Mayweather Jr?
Nicholas Walters: He?s a very intelligent guy. He?s not really fighting in wars anymore. He has done enough in his prime, so he?s not fighting in wars, he?s fighting in a more intelligent manner now. He?s using his craft and his experience to win fights.
People like to see wars, people like to see guys get knocked out, they like to see blood. He?s more fighting with his abilities now, fighting with his skills and intelligence. Apart from that, Floyd Mayweather is a very crafty and very intelligent fighter and I respect him for that, he has given a lot to boxing. Those are my views on Floyd Mayweather, he?s a superstar in boxing just now.
Jenna J: I want to get your views on Manny Pacquiao, he used to be known for getting knockouts but he hasn?t done it for a few years. Do you think we will ever see the Manny Pacquiao we used to see that was knocking people out?
Nicholas Walters: I will say that Manny Pacquiao is a different fighter from Mayweather. I think Mayweather is a more intelligent and more crafty guy but Pacquiao is definitely a warrior. The sport of boxing likes to have guys like Pacquiao. Pacquiao, it doesn?t matter who you put him against, you?re always gonna see a fight with Pacquiao.
Pacquiao?s true to the sport, he?s a true fighter, a true warrior and he?s always gonna give entertaining fights. He?s never gonna give a boring show. Whether win, lose or draw, it?s always gonna be an entertaining fight and that?s what boxing needs because boxing is a sport that?s coming from the gladiators and the gladiators they are not runners, they are fighters.
Pacquiao is a true gladiator, he?s a true warrior and he?s not gonna give you a boring fight, he?s always gonna give a fight whether win, lose or draw. That?s as much as I can say for Pacquiao. I like Pacquiao?s style, he?s a fighter like me. I?m a fighter, I like fighting, I like to make it physical and he?s like that, and I commend him for that.
Jenna J: I must ask you, if Mayweather and Pacquiao ever fought in the ring, what do you think would happen?
Nicholas Walters: It?s an interesting fight. A lot of people think that Pacquiao is as fast as Mayweather is now and that Mayweather is not at his best. It?s a fight that we?ll have to see. I think Pacquiao would give Mayweather one of the better fights. Mayweather, they?re not giving him the level of competition but I think Pacquiao would definitely give him a fight, even if he wins the fight, Mayweather will have a fight on his hands.
Mayweather knows he really needs to work hard and he knows that he?s not gonna be in there with someone that?s not gonna fight, he knows that Pacquiao is gonna come to fight, he?s gonna come to try and hurt him and he?s gonna throw all the tricks in the book. It?s a fight that not only me but boxing fans would like to see. I would definitely like to see a fight like that.
