Leroy Brown, STAR Writer

Jamaica's Nicholas Walters, the World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight super champion, must certainly be the most wanted man in the division at this time. Last week, he was challenged by the World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Jhonny Gonzales, who told the world that Walters is the man he would most like to fight early next year.

Another challenge came over the weekend from another featherweight champion, this time the World Boxing Organisation champion, Vasyl Lomachenko, after he successfully defended his title last Saturday night with a unanimous decision victory over No. 1 challenger Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo in Macau, China. This was one of the supporting fights on the Manny Pacquiao versus Chris Algeiri fight, which Pacquiao won by unanimous decision after flooring his opponent six times.

Nothing to gain

Last week, Walters was quoted in a boxing magazine that he had nothing to gain from fighting Lomachenko, who then had only three fights and a 2-1 record. His record is now 3-1 with one knockout, while Walters is 25-0 with 21 knockouts.

Despite his few professional fights, however, Lomachenko is well respected in boxing circles because he is a two-time Olympic gold medal winner and had one of the best records in amateur boxing, before switching to the pro ranks recently. He is a very good boxer and was signed to a lucrative promotional contract by Bob Arum's Top Rank.

The argument put forward then by Walters was that if he fought and beat Lomachenko, people would not be too impressed, since his opponent has so few fights. Lomachenko, he said, had much more to gain from the encounter.

Lomachenko admitted hearing what Walters had to say and said last Saturday, that he simply loves to fight, and that his mission is to fight the best and beat them. That would be the main reason that he would like to fight Walters now he said.

Walters, who is in Jamaica on holiday, after his recent victory over Nonito Donaire, told the Gleaner that "the decision who I fight next, is not really mine. My job is to be fit and ready when a fight is lined up for me by my manager Jacques Deschamps and my promoter Top Rank. I will fight anybody they select for me. I will be ready whenever I get the call and I am a very serious man now."