Walters Loses Title on the Scale, Marriaga Fight Still On

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Nicholas WaltersNicholas Walters is scheduled to face Miguel Marriaga tomorrow night in the main event of HBO’s “Boxing After Dark,” live from Madison Square Garden Theater in New York. The fight will go on even though Walters failed to make the featherweight limit of 126lbs.

 

Walters, who had successfully defended his WBA featherweight title 3 times since winning it, initially weighed in at 127.4lbs, then, per New York State Athletic Commission’s rule, Walters was given 2 hours to shed the extra poundage, but his return to the scale didn’t make any difference as he came in at 127lbs.

 

Now, the fight will go on but only Marriaga can win the now vacant WBA title—should Marriaga lose the belt would remain vacant.

 

It’s a huge blow for Walters, who is entering the ring coming off of an 8-month layoff. He told ESPN.com that it was disappointing to lose his title on the scales and it was not for nothing.

 

“I’m coming off an eight-month layoff. I tried everything,” Walters told ESPN.com.

 

Dan Rafael of ESPN.com was informed by Top Rank and reported that Walters paid Marriaga “an undisclosed amount of money from his purse to go through with the fight.”

 

The most disappointing aspect of this situation is the fact that Walters was in line to fight Vasyl Lomachenko in a title unification bout if he got passed his Saturday test.

 

Thaboxingvoice.com has learned from sources close to Lomachenko and Top Rank personnel that he’d be willing to fight Walters above the 126lb weight limit.