By Jake Donovan





A quartet of unbeaten fighters fill up an HBO-televised doubleheader live from Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York City.





In the main event, reigning featherweight titlist Nicholas ‘Axe Man’ Walters faces Colombia’s Miguel Marriaga.





The bout marks the fourth title defense for Walters (25-0, 21KOs), whose last ring appearance was a sensational 6th round knockout of former four-division titlist Nonito Donaire. Rumors of his struggling to make weight for this bout were confirmed at the scales, when he registered at 127.4 lbs., more than a full pound over the featherweight limit.





Walters has two hours to drop the excess weight, or else will be subject to a fine and will be at his opponent's mercy as to whether or not the fight will still take place.





Marriaga (20-0, 18KOs)—who owns a pair of amateur wins over Walters—was well within the limit at 125.2 lbs. for his first major title fight as well as his HBO-televised debut.





The televised co-feature pits Felix Verdejo versus Ivan Najera in a 10-round lightweight battle.





Both fighters were well under the lightweight limit. Verdejo (17-0, 13KOs) Najera came in at 133 lbs., his lightest weight in more than a year. Najera (16-0, 8KOs) was closer to the junior lightweight limit, weighing in at 131.4 lbs.





Verdejo's appearance on the card was strategically placed, as the event comes on the eve of the National Puerto Rican Day parade in New York City.



