Naging malungkot sa yugto sa Philippine boxing kahapon ang pagkatalo ni dating pound-for-pound No. 9 boxer na si Nonito Donaire Jr. makaraang matalo siya sa pamamagitan ng 6th round TKO kay Nicholas Walters para maangkin ng huli ang WBA undisputed featherweight crown sa StubHub Center, Carson, California sa United States.

Nakipagsabayan si Donaire sa Jamaican ngunit likas na malakas ang suntok ng mas bata na si Walters kaya napuruhan ang Pilipino sa matinding bakbakan.

“In a battle for the undisputed WBA featherweight crown, ‘regular champion’ Nicholas Walters (25-0, 21KOs) got a career defining win with a massive bomb that took out ‘super champion’ Nonito Donaire (33-3, 21KOs) in the sixth round,” ayon sa ulat ng BoxingScene.com.

“Walters controlled the first with his long reach. In the second, Donaire was putting together the better punches and landing his power hooks to the head and body. At the end of the second they were trading punches and hard hook rocked Walters, shaking up his legs,” dagdag sa ulat.

“Donaire was stalking and pounding Walters with hard shots in the third. But in the final twenty seconds Walters scored a knockdown with an uppercut up the middle. They traded shots in the final ten seconds.”

Ngunit nagbago ang takbo ng laban nang maputukan sa kanang kilay si Donaire sanhi ng accidental headbutt kaya lumamang si Walters sa pukpukan.

“A cut was starting to flow blood at the start of the fourth on the right eye of Donaire. Walters’ jab controlled the fourth. They were trading hooks in the fifth, with Walters having the edge,” dagdag ng ulat. “In the sixth, a cut appeared around the left eye of Donaire as Walters pumped his jab. During the end of the round, Walters cracked Donaire with a massive right hand bomb on the temple that sent him down face first. He barely beat the count but he was out on his feet and the referee stopped the fight.”

Sa panayam matapos ang laban, sinabi ni Donaire na hindi pa siya magreretiro at naniniwalang muling magkakampeon sa susunod na laban.