By Richard M. Archibold, notifight.com
If WBC featherweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez wants it, then he got it. Last Saturday night in Carson, Nicholas Walters (25-0, 21KOs) captured the WBA featherweight title with a career defining knockout of Nonito Donaire. After the fight was over, Gonzalez issued a challenger to Walters.
"I am ready to face the best fighters in my division, [Gonzalez] is saying he wants to fight me and wants my title. I love his belt, but first I have to talk to my manager Jacques Deschamps and my promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank," Walters said.
Another possible opponent is WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko. But, Walters views Gonzalez as a more lucrative opponent. He believes the 2-1 Lomachenko, who has two Olympic gold medals, is still in the early stages of building his name.
"Lomachenko is just making his name as a professional boxer. I prefer to face Johnny Gonzalez, because he's a fighter who is known worldwide. But that's not my call [on who I fight next], it's a decision for my handlers," Walters said.
The other champion at 126-pounds is Russia's Evgeny Gradovich, who holds the featherweight crown of the International Boxing Federation (IBF).
