Nico Ali Walsh
Nico Ali Walsh (born July 11, 2000) is an American professional boxer. The grandson of Muhammad Ali, Walsh came into the ring for his pro debut in August 2021 wearing his grandfather's personal white Everlast shorts, which were passed down to him in 2016 with the death of his grandfather.[2]
| Nico Ali Walsh | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | "The Legend Lives On" |
| Weight(s) | |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Reach | 74 in (188 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | July 11, 2000 Chicago, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record[1] | |
| Total fights | 10 |
| Wins | 8 |
| Wins by KO | 5 |
| Losses | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Website | nicoaliwalsh |
Professional career
Before going pro in 2021, Ali Walsh spent a few months training alongside world-renowned boxing trainer, Abel Sanchez, in Big Bear Lake, California. After having a "limited" amateur boxing career of approximately 30 bouts, Walsh decided to turn pro in early 2021. He began working with Tyson Fury's current trainer, SugarHill Steward, and is promoted by Bob Arum's Top Rank, who also promoted 27 of his grandfather's fights.[3][4][2][5]
Walsh made his professional debut against Jordan Weeks on the Joshua Franco vs. Andrew Moloney III undercard, on August 14, 2021. He won the fight by a first-round technical knockout.[6] Walsh was booked to face James Westley II, in his second professional bout, on October 23, 2021, on the undercard of the WBO super featherweight championship between Shakur Stevenson and Jamel Herring.[7] He won the fight by a third-round technical knockout.[8] Walsh faced Reyes Sanchez on December 11, 2021, on the undercard of Vasyl Lomachenko vs Richard Commey. In his final fight of the year,[9] He won the fight by a majority decision, with scores of 40–36, 38–38 and 39–37.[10]
Walsh faced Jeremiah Yeager on January 29, 2022, on the undercard of the WBC super featherweight title eliminator between Robson Conceição and Xavier Martinez. He won the fight by a second-round technical knockout.[11]
Walsh faced Alejandro Ibarra on April 30, 2022, on the undercard of the WBC and WBO super featherweight unification between Shakur Stevenson and Óscar Valdez. He won the fight via 1st-round knockout. Walsh also said he hoped to stay active and fight again before he hit a year in professional boxing.[12]
Walsh fought again against Reyes Sanchez as Walsh did not like how he performed against him, as he thought the fight was close (one of the judges thought the fight was a draw, resulting in a majority decision). Walsh knocked out Reyes Sanchez in the second round at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.[13]
Personal life
Walsh is a Muslim.[14] He is a grandson of Muhammad Ali and nephew of Laila Ali.
Walsh saw the tough time that both Muhammad and Laila Ali had while boxing and debated whether or not to follow in their footsteps. In the end it was his grandfather that kept him involved with the sport.[12]
Professional boxing record
| 10 fights | 8 wins | 1 loss |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 5 | 0 |
| By decision | 3 | 1 |
| No contests | 1 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Loss | 8–1 (1) | Sona Akale | MD | 6 | Aug 26, 2023 | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
| 9 | NC | 8–0 (1) | Danny Rosenberger | NC | 8 | May 20, 2023 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | Originally a split decision draw; Overturned due to Rosenberger testing positive for illegal substance |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Eduardo Ayala | UD | 6 | Feb 3, 2023 | Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Billy Wagner | UD | 6 | Oct 29, 2022 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Reyes Sanchez | KO | 2 (4), 2:45 | Aug 20, 2022 | Pechanga Arena, San Diego, California, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Alejandro Ibarra | KO | 1 (4), 2:50 | Apr 30, 2022 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Jeremiah Yeager | TKO | 2 (4), 2:33 | Jan 29, 2022 | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Reyes Sanchez | MD | 4 | Dec 11, 2021 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | James Westley II | TKO | 3 (4), 0:30 | Oct 23, 2021 | State Farm Arena, Atlanta, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Jordan Weeks | TKO | 1 (4), 1:49 | Aug 14, 2021 | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
References
- "Boxing record for Nico Ali Walsh". BoxRec.
- Ben Morse (October 23, 2021). "Muhammad Ali's grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, carries the torch for the legendary boxing name". CNN.
- "Ready to make 'Poppy' proud: Nico Ali Walsh aims to build on Muhammad Ali's legacy". ESPN.com. August 13, 2021.
- "Nico Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali's grandson, signs pro boxing deal | DAZN News US". DAZN. June 24, 2021.
- "'Sky is the limit': How good could boxer Nico Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali's grandson, be?". USA Today.
- Peter, Josh (August 14, 2021). "Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of Muhammad Ali, scores TKO win in pro boxing debut". eu.usatoday.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- Karlov, Andrew (October 1, 2021). "Muhammad Ali's grandson returns at Herring-Stevenson undercard". ringside24.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- Dielhenn, James (October 24, 2021). "Muhammad Ali's grandson Nico Ali Walsh defeats James Westley II by stoppage in his second pro fight". skysports.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- Kinker, Seth (December 8, 2021). "Topeka boxer Rey Sanchez to fight Muhammad Ali's grandson at Madison Square Garden". eu.cjonline.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- Idec, Keith (December 11, 2021). "Nico Ali Walsh Beats Reyes Sanchez By Majority Decision In 4-Rounder, Improves To 3-0". boxingscene.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- Newswire (January 30, 2022). "Video: Nico Ali Walsh dominates & stops Jeremiah Yeager in the second round". fightmag.com.au. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- Blaine Henry (April 26, 2022). "Nico Ali Walsh: "It's powerful to me to be fighting for that legacy."". Fight-Library.com.
- Francisco Salazar (August 20, 2022). "NICO ALI WALSH SCORES SECOND ROUND KNOCKOUT OF REYES SANCHEZ IN SAN DIEGO". ringtv.com.
- Vinayak (November 9, 2021). "Muhammad Ali's grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, shares what he believes was his grandfather's only "fault"". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
External links
- Boxing record for Nico Ali Walsh from BoxRec (registration required)