Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, wins on his professional boxing debut with first-round KNOCKOUT after wearing the same shorts as the legendary heavyweight… before hugging his mum in celebration
- Muhammad Ali’s grandson has won his first professional bout by knockout
- Nico Ali Walsh, son of Ali’s daughter Rasheda, made his debut in Oklahoma
- The 21-year-old wore shorts designed for the boxing icon for his debut fight
- Ali Walsh defeated Jordan Weeks by technical knockout in the first round
Nico Ali Walsh, the grandson of former heavyweight champion and boxing legend Muhammad Ali, defeated Jordan Weeks by technical knockout in his professional boxing debut on Saturday.
Middleweight fighter Ali Walsh is the son of Robert Walsh and Rasheda Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali’s daughter. The 21-year-old signed a deal with Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing in June ahead of his first professional fight in the U.S state of Oklahoma.
Ali Walsh, who wore trunks made for his famous grandfather in the 1960s, knocked down his opponent Weeks midway through the first round before the referee stopped the fight at 1:49 of that round.
Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, has won on his professional debut
The 21-year-old defeated Jordan Weeks via a first-round technical knockout in Oklohama
‘Obviously my grandfather, I’ve been thinking of him so much. I miss him. It’s been an emotional journey,’ ESPN quoted Ali Walsh as saying.
‘I think me and him (Weeks) made a little bit of history tonight. This lived up completely to my expectations.’
Muhammad Ali, nicknamed ‘The Greatest’, died in June 2016. His record-setting boxing career, unprecedented flair for showmanship and controversial stands made him one of the best-known figures of the 20th century.
Walsh wore the same boxing shorts designed for his legendary grandfather in the 1960s
The American is the son of Ali’s daughter Rasheda Ali Walsh, the pair hugged after the fight
Ali Walsh pictured with his legendary grandfather, The man dubbed ‘The Greatest’ died in 2016
Ali Walsh, who is trying to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps into professional boxing, said Muhammad Ali was ‘the greatest fighter who lived’.
‘It seems like a lot of pressure; to me, it’s just my grandfather,’ said Ali Walsh, who grew up in Las Vegas.
‘He’s the greatest fighter who ever lived – maybe the greatest person,’ Ali Walsh said.
‘I’m never wearing these trunks again,’ he added.