THE World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Featherweight champion, Jamaica’s Nicholas ‘Axeman’ Walters, has lauded the Wray & Nephew Contender Series for its contribution to the development of the boxing in Jamaica.

Walters believes the series has provided a major thrust to the sport for fans and fighters, in particular, who are seeking to transition to the professional level. “I am very happy that the Wray & Nephew Contender Series has brought the adrenaline to boxing…it gives the boxing a boost and brings boxing back into the house of the people.

Boxing went down to an all-time low, but the Contender Series is definitely doing a lot for boxing in Jamaica,” he reiterated while speaking to reporters and editors at the weekly Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters yesterday.

Walters, who won his first professional fight at the age of 22, and has now established himself as possibly one of the best boxers from the soil, has a current record of 25 wins from as many fights, with 21 coming via knockouts. The WBA Fedelatin and World Super Featherweight champion is urging the continuation of the show as he is eager for Jamaica to produce another professional boxer who will become world champion and even surpass his achievements.

The 29-year-old sent out an appeal for more to be done to assist with the development of local fighters.

“The Contender is definitely a big help to Jamaica and I am very happy for it. But I would love for promoters to put on more local shows so it can be a career to the guys, so they can know that they can be in Jamaica, and earn a living from boxing.

“When you go to the amateur you can do about seven years at that level, but when you go to the professional level there is no one to promote the sport.

But if there were promoters in Jamaica and there are shows, then the fighters would be able to move from the amateur level and not have to spend so many years in boxing as a waste…they can stay and still get to a professional level,” he explained.

The show, which was initiated by MJK Productions and backed by the Jamaica Boxing Federation, has heralded a new age of boxing in Jamaica.

Since its inception in 2011, the show has been a huge hit among live and television viewers, both locally and internationally, and some argue that it has propelled boxing back into the spotlight.

The series has given boxing the proverbial shot in the arm the sport needed and built a platform, giving boxers who hadn’t fought in many moons a chance to showcase their talent.

It has featured the middleweight and welterweight categories, while introducing boxing mentors such as former World Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.