The legacy of Muhammad Ali has turned the page to a new chapter, as the legendary heavyweight championโs grandson โ Nico Ali Walsh โ makes his professional boxing debut against Jordan Weeks in spectacular (and rather lopsided) fashion. The 21-year-old middleweight stepped into the ring of Tulsaโs Hars Rock Hotel & Casino to launch what can only be described as a full-scale demolition job against his opponent, dictating the terms at every possible moment, before securing a first-round TKO. And in the very trunks gifted by Muhammad Ali, no less, which young Nico has since vowed to retire (โIโm never wearing these trunks again.โ).
โI think me and him made a little bit of history tonight,โ says Nico Ali Walsh.
โThis lived up completely to my expectations. Itโs been an emotional journeyโฆ Obviously, my grandfather, Iโve been thinking of him so much. I miss him.โ
Ali Walsh was raised in Las Vegas by Robert Walsh and Rasheda Ali Walsh (daughter of Muhammad), where he began an amateur boxing career with grand aspirations of following in his late grandfatherโs footsteps. Trained by the one and only SugarHill Steward โ the same bloke training current WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury โ Aliโs career picked up momentum when he signed with Bob Arumโs Top Rank promotion in June earlier this year.
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โStep-by-step, play it by ear, watch his development and bring him along as fast as heโs able to go,โ says Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler, who also worked with Muhammad Ali back in the 80s.
โIโve seen him in the gym every day for a month. Heโs learning. He hasnโt fought in over two years. SugarHill has been away with Fury and some other fightersโฆ Itโs about building a relationship between the trainer and fighter and you can imagine the pressure on the fighter tonight. It was fun and heโs a terrific kid.โ
โIt seems like a lot of pressure to me, itโs just my grandfather,โ says Ali Walsh.
โHeโs the greatest fighter who ever lived โ maybe the greatest person.โ
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As with the nature of this game, many have already labelled the professional boxing debut of Nico Ali Walsh an egregious mismatch; given Jordan Weeks has struggled to remain competitive thus far with a mediocre 1-6-1 record (coming off a fourth-round TKO in his previous fight), and questioning Ali Wlshโs legitimacy as a fighter. But to paraphrase Mike Coppinger of ESPN, no matter who he faces or what level heโll reach, there will always be an audience following his rise โ his bloodline guarantees it.
โI feel like success doesnโt mean going 30-0, it doesnโt mean going 50-0โฆ I think itโs a feeling.โ
โAt some point, Iโll know that I felt like I continued this legacy right. At that point, Iโll know that Iโve had a successful boxing career.โ
Watch Nico Ali Walsh defeat Jordan Weeks via first-round TKO in the video below.
