LOS ANGELES (AFP) Undefeated Jamaican Nicholas Walters knocked out Filipino star Nonito Donaire with one second remaining in the sixth round Saturday to win the World Boxing Association featherweight title.
Walters landed a powerful overhand right to the left temple that sent the champion crumpling to the canvas and referee Raul Caiz counted out Donaire at 2:59 of the sixth round.
Nicholas Walters of Jamaica throws a punch against Nonito Donaire of the Philippines during the WBA “Super” Featherweight Title bout at StubHub Center on October 18, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. AFP
“I invited him in and then I caught him with that powerful shot,” Walters said. “It was tough work. He’s a super world champion. He caught me (with) a few shots early.”
Donaire, who had never been knocked down in his career, was sent to the canvas for the first time in the third round before being sent down for good.
“He knocked the (hell) out of me,” Donaire said. “I was at my best. I never trained this hard. He came out as tough as I thought he would be.”
Walters, three years younger than Donaire at 28, improved to 25-0 with his 21st career stoppage inside the distance in his first world title bout.
Donaire had won titles at 112, 118 and 122 pounds and was defending for the first time the WBA crown he won in May at Macau over South African Simpiwe Vetyeka.
In another fight last night, WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin stopped Mexico’s Marco Antonio Rubio in the second round to keep his title, taking his 18th consecutive knockout triumph in emphatic fashion.
The unbeaten 32-year-old from Kazakhstan, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist, improved to 31-0 with 28 knockouts, the latest coming 79 seconds into the second round and extending a streak of victories inside the distance that began in 2008.
“I loved this fight,” Golovkin said. “I don’t like dancing. I like to fight. This was a true fight. He didn’t step back.”
Golovkin, defending his world title for a 12th time, landed an uppercut to stun Rubio and finished off the fight with a powerful overhand left. Rubio tried to rise but referee Jack Reiss counted him out before he made it back onto his feet.
Golovkin could be looking at a unification showdown against the winner of an expected fight between World Boxing Council champion Miguel Cotto and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
“I want to fight everybody,” Golovkin said. “I think Cotto next. Next year. Next fight.”