'Axeman' Walters in controversial draw

There was a controversial draw to the junior lightweight fight between Jamaica’s former WBA featherweight champion Nicholas Walters and Jason Sosa in New York on Saturday night.

Walters appeared to dominate the fight from the opening bell, but the final judges’ scores were 96-94 for Sosa, and 95-95 and 95-95.

This surprised many experts including those working for fight broadcaster HBO and ESPN.com who unofficially scored the 10 round contest 100-90 in Walters' favour

The Compubox punch statistics, appeared to support the unofficial scores.

Walters landed 281 of 622 punches (45 percent), and Sosa landed 168 of 873 (19 percent). Walters also led 118 to 39 in body punches landed.

The decision led the CEO of Top Rank, the promoting company for both fighters to call for the blacklisting of the judges.

Walters was fighting for the first time since being stripped of his world title for failing to make the 126-pound featherweight limit for a defence against , Miguel Marriaga in June.

He told reporters afterwards that he was pleased with his performance, despite the score, and stands ready should his opponent want a rematch.

“I didn’t think I lost this fight, it wasn’t even a draw…you will have to ask Sosa about a rematch….it’s not about me…I was the one that beat him up not him beat me up…I will fight whoever and whenever my handlers say I’m supposed to fight,” said Walters.    

Meanwhile, Walters attempted a call out of Vasyl Lomachenko, the WBO featherweight title holder.

Hopes of the two meeting went down the drain after Walters was stripped of his title for failing to make the weight for a scheduled title defence.

Speaking before Saturday night's fight, Walters suggested that Lomachenko really did not want to fight him, and that his no longer having the WBA title made it more convenient.