New York--Jamaican sensation Nicholas Walters remained unbeaten and avenged an amateur defeat with a 12-round unanimous decision over Miguel Marriaga on Saturday that left the World Boxing Association featherweight world title vacant.
Walters had been expected to defend his WBA crown but surrendered the title on Friday when he failed to make the 126-pound (57 kg) featherweight limit.
That meant only Colombia's Marriaga could have claimed the vacant title at the Madison Square Garden Theater on Saturday.
But Walters prevailed to take his record to 26-0 with 21 wins inside the distance.
He dealt Marriaga a first defeat, the Colombian falling to 21-1 with 18 knockouts.
Walters dropped Marriaga with an overhand right in the ninth round, and was rocked by a right from the Colombian in the fourth.
But lengthy spells of little action left the crowd restive, and the outcome was a decision by scores of 119-108, 118-109 and 117-110.
AFP
