Nonito Donaire vs. Nicholas Walters: Winner, Recap and Analysis

To put it plain, Nicholas Walters (25-0, 21 KO) beat Nonito Donaire (33-3) up on Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. With a treacherous overhand right, Walters staked claim to the WBA featherweight championship with a decisive sixth-round KO.

Following the fight, Donaire released a statement on Facebook:

The 28-year-old Jamaican slugger used his five-inch reach advantage to dominate almost the entire fight. Donaire had a moment at the end of the second round where he hurt Walters with a hard left hook, but it came right before the bell rang.

Walters recuperated and continued to dominate. In the third round, Walters dropped Donaire for the first time in his career with a thunderous uppercut. Donaire was stunned, but not out...yet.

Through the remainder of the bout, Walters showed a good balance of patience and aggression. He worked behind his dominant jab, but took every opportunity to land powerful shots to the head and midsection.

By the fifth round, Donaire's eyes wore swollen and bloody. It seemed to be just a matter of time before the Filipino Flash would be finished. In fact, it was.

In the sixth round, Walters pushed Donaire against the ropes and he landed the definitive right hand on top of his opponent's head, and that was the end of the bout. Donaire got to his feet, but referee Raul Caiz Jr. smartly wouldn't allow the beaten warrior to continue.

It was a stunning, but not exactly shocking result. Donaire hasn't exactly looked good in a fight in two years. Walters came in hungry and with proven power. He confirmed his talent and desire with Saturday night's performance.

Walters' future is bright. He could take on recently-crowned WBO champion Vasyl Lomachenko in a unification bout that would feature two of the sport's brightest young stars. Top Rank Boxing, the entity that promotes both fighters, would love to make that excellent bout happen.

The 26-year-old Ukrainian still has to take care of Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo on Nov. 22.

Donaire's career is at a definite crossroads. Though he lost to Guillermo Rigondeaux clearly in April 2013, this loss was a complete beatdown. With questions about Donaire's desire floating about, it would appear that the 31-year-old should seriously consider if its worth continuing in the sport he had been so dominant in.

For now, the torch has been passed in a major way.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.