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After a relative quiet period, the featherweight division is suddenly one of the hottest in the sport. With fighters like the Ukraine’s Vasyl Lomachenko, Mexico’s Abner Mares, the UK’s Lee Selby, and America’s Gary Russell Jr, there’s a young, talented, and globe-spanning collection of names populating the upper echelon of 126. The fighter at the very top of the heap, however, is the hard-hitting Jamaican fighter Nicholas “Axe Man” Walters.

It seems strange that within such a murderer’s row of talent and charisma that the gold standard may very well be a diminutive but brash fighter from the small island nation of Jamaica. In fact, up until his 2014 campaign, all but the most die-hard of boxing fans would have been extremely hard pressed to pick the fighter out of a lineup. The most recognizable name on his resume to that point in his career had been Daulis Prescott, the younger brother of Breidis Prescott (who is most famous for knocking out Amir Khan the better part of a decade ago) – not exactly the stuff of legend. However, Walters (and his fan-friendly style) quickly set about changing all that virtually overnight.

Walters burst onto the scene last year with a pair of victories over Vic Darchinyan and Nonito Donaire. If there were an immediate criticism, it would be that the wins came over a pair of fighters who many thought were on the downward slope of their careers. However, even more impressive than the wins themselves, was the manner in which he accomplished the feat. Walters was able to stop both fighters within six rounds – and while tearing through the aging Darchinyan like a buzzsaw is one thing, the way that he was able to turn the lights out on the previously very sturdy Donaire is something else entirely. While it is worth noting that Donaire had been rising in weight (and has since dropped back down to 122), it is also worth remembering that nobody had ever even dropped him to the canvas before – and Walters not only put him down, but effectively kept him there.

And yet, despite those two victories and his spot atop most (if not all) featherweight rankings, Walters remains something of an enigma. It still seems somehow too early to tell whether we are looking at a future star with a long reign atop featherweight or a talented and entertaining, but nonetheless limited, fighter who will be merely a part of the mix in an increasingly deep division. It’s difficult to ascertain whether those two exciting knockouts were the start of something special, or merely a mirage created by two aging stars. Walters has power, there can be no doubt about that. His right hand seems at times to have gunpowder in his glove. He also has deceptively quick hands, a knack for landing big, awkward counterpunches, not to mention a willingness to stand and trade that will undoubtedly endear him to fans. But that willingness to mix it up might also be to his detriment.

In his fight against Donaire (and to a slightly lesser extent, against Darchinyan), Walters showed that he is a fighter who is capable of being hit. The Filipino Flash was consistently finding a home for his signature left hand in the first couple rounds, even shaking up Walters a bit early. The Axe Man’s supporters have to be comforted by the almost Brandon Rios-like charge and energy that Walters seemed to receive from those moments – but they also have to wonder how he will hold up against those type of shots from larger natural featherweights. There is also the matter of technique – though in that particular case, it is tougher to tell whether this is something we should put in under the column of Walters’ strengths or his weaknesses. There is something awkward and looping about the way Walters fights. His spindly limbs seeming to fly at his opponents from less than conventional angles and at atypical moments. It worked heavily in his favor against the even more awkward and herky-jerky Darchinyan. It also worked in his favor against the in-and-out style of Nonito Donaire. It will be interesting to see, though, how it holds up against a more classically trained fighter like Lomachenko, or a slicker boxer puncher like Gary Russell. On paper, both fights would seem to present some stylistic issues for Walters.

In the meantime, Walters fights this Saturday on HBO against Miguel Marriaga – a Colombian fighter who boasts a victory over Walters as an amateur. Marriaga is also a come forward fighter whose career to this point suggests that he possesses better-than-average punching power, himself. But with his limited resume, this fight against Walters is a massive step up in competition for the Columbian. So while it’s reasonable to expect an entertaining scrap as long as it lasts, it seems unlikely that we’ll be seeing something that tells us too much more about what we have in Walters than what we already know.

For my money, however, I think there may just be something special about the Axe Man. I already see hints of an x-factor that might be lurking beneath the surface. The way he was able to come back after being wobbled by Donaire, the power that he is somehow able to generate from that frail frame, it all seems to suggest to me more than meets the eye. I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if Walters is already something of a more durable Chico Corrales (who people forget was viewed as a destroyer at featherweight, until he infamously ran into a young Floyd Mayweather Jr.), with an even higher potential upside. Styles make fights, and Walters has a style that is sure to entertain against all of the other big names in the division even while it presents some problems for him. But intangibles make fights too, that willingness to dig deeper than your opponent, the ability to squeeze more out of less, the rare case where what you get is a sum greater than all of the parts that you see before you. So while I don’t necessarily suspect that he’s the most talented fighter at 126 and I don’t think he matches up well with some of the other combatants in the division on paper, I do think he has those intangibles, that special something, that could mean continued success and even greater glory as his level of competition continues to rise. And I think the the rest featherweight division will be discovering that sometime in the near future. Consider yourselves put on notice.

UPDATE: Nicholas Walters came in overweight at 127 lbs for his bout against Marriaga and was stripped of his title. It looks like his battle will be fought at junior lightweight from here on out.

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