Walters stops Donaire in 6th, wins 126-lb title
CARSON, California (AP) — Nicholas Walters stopped Philippine-born Nonito Donaire with a second left in the sixth round, winning the WBA featherweight title in dramatic fashion Saturday night.
Walters (25-0, 21 KOs), a fairly unknown fighter from Jamaica, punctuated his breakthrough performance by knocking down Donaire (33-3) for the first two times in the four-division champion’s career.
After Donaire swung and missed with a huge left hand late in the sixth, Walter caught him above the ear with an overhand right. Donaire fell face-first to the canvas, and though he beat the count, he couldn’t continue in his second loss in four fights.
Walters also knocked down Donaire in the third round with an uppercut.
The fight thrilled the sellout crowd for Gennady Golovkin’s middleweight title bout against Marco Antonio Rubio.
