In some people’s minds, Nicholas Walters may not have fought too many high-class opponents, but he has undoubtedly announced himself as a major player in the featherweight division.

As a youngster, Walters aspired to be a boxing greats of the statue of Mike Tyson, Mike McCullum, Evander Holyfield and Sugar Ray Leonard.

But none of these legendary fighters has come close to influencing his career as much as and in the manner of his father, Job.  

Job Walters represented Jamaica from 1986-1991 in the featherweight division, a period characterised by 12 wins and seven losses. Since then, he has been the beacon of light which has guided his son Nicholas’ career.

And the younger Walters grew up with intimate knowledge of the sport and keenly followed in his father’s winning footsteps, registering multiple victories and dominating his weight class from his first punches as a child fighting in matches within the community.

With such a strong heritage in boxing, it was no surprise that Nicholas easily entered the Walters family business, and has displayed the grit and determination necessary to succeed. Today he is maintaining that proud Walters tradition.

Walters, nicknamed ‘Axeman’, began boxing at the age of 10 and had his first professional fight at the age of 22 against Panamanian Estaban Ramos.

He captured the WBA Fedelatin title in 2009, and successfully defended it four times. In 2012, he won the vacant WBA World (Regular) Featherweight title against Colombian Daulis Prescott during the annual KO Drugs Festival in Jamaica, via a seventh-round knockout.

The 28-year-old stunned the world last year when he defeated Phillipines-born American Nonito Donaire by technical knockout in the sixth round on October 18, to capture the WBA World (Super) Featherweight Championship.

The victory meant he made good on his prediction of a knockout in either the fifth or sixth round. He remains undefeated with his record standing at 25 wins, with 21 coming by way of knockout.

The 5ft 7in tall boxer with a reach of 73 inches, savagely floored his opponent in round three, before claiming victory with another knock down in round six. The vicious performance has placed him in contention for the RJR Sports Foundation People’s Choice award.

Walters, along with Jaheel Hyde (athletics), Kemar Lawrence (football), Andre Russell (cricket), Andrew Gutzmore (football) and Alia Atkinson (swimming) for the national People’s Choice Performance of the Year Award.

 Walters, with two world title victories, has also been considered the favourite for the Sportsman of the Year Award, having in May defended his WBA World Featherweight title he won in Kingston with a fifth round knockout of Armenian Vic Darchinyan, who had won world championship titles in three different divisions.

Hyde of Wolmer’s Boys High School was nominated for his impressive world junior leading time of 49.49 seconds at Boys Champs 2014 in the 400m hurdles. Another schoolboy, Gutzmore of Clarendon College, scored a wonderful long-range goal in the Ben Francis Cup against Glenmuir High; Lawrence of Harbour View scored a spectacular free-kick for Jamaica against Canada; Russell kept his head and won a memorable game for Jamaica Tallawahs with his last ball six and Atkinson for her world record-equalling 1:02.36 minutes swim in the 100 breaststroke.