The grandson of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, Nico Ali Walsh, won his sixth-straight fight, defeating Reyes Sanchez in the second round of their contest with a pair of vicious body blows.
Nico Ali Walsh made his professional debut a little over a year ago wearing the same signature white Everlast shorts that his grandfather made famous. Since then, Walsh has scored six victories, five by way of knockout. On Saturday, Ali Walsh faced Sanchez for the second time in his career. Their first meeting in December 2021 saw Ali Walsh secure his only decision victory thus far. In the rematch, Walsh refused to let it go to the judges, folding Sanchez in the second round with a beautiful body shot combination.
BODY SHOT ENDS IT 😱
@NicoAliX74 x #NavarreteBaez pic.twitter.com/wZh1fliKCY
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) August 21, 2022
“I feel amazing. This is a special win because of course it was a rematch,” Walsh said following his victory over Sanchez. “It was everything I’ve been working towards, my hard work has shown in the ring I want everyone to see that it’s a new me and I think you saw that. I’ve got to think my coaches and [promoter] Bob Arum, these are geniuses behind every single fight.”
Nico Ali Walsh’s win over Sanchez was his third of 2022. In his last appearance, Walsh delivered a massive one-punch knockout of Alejandro Ibarra in the first round of their April meeting.
Alhamdullilah!! The curse is broken! 6-0 never felt so good. Thank you all for the love and prayers! I’ll be back real soon. This story is far from finished… 🦋 pic.twitter.com/4qcGZXYwtl
— Nico Ali Walsh (@nicoaliwalsh) August 21, 2022
Nico Ali Walsh Says Carrying His Grandfather’s Legacy a ‘Huge Honor’
Carrying the legacy of arguably the most famous combat sports athlete to ever live would be a daunting task for most. Being the legacy of a name synonymous with greatness can come with insurmountable pressure, but through six fights, Nico Ali Walsh has carried the name proudly. Speaking with the San Diego Tribune, Ali Walsh believes it is an honor to carry on the legacy of his grandfather while building his own.
“It’s a huge honor,” Ali Walsh said. “I’m carrying my grandfather’s legacy but also creating my own. I love it. I’m young. I just turned 22 years old. I’m fresh out of college. People my age want to support me, I think. People who are older than me who watched my grandfather want to support as well. I’m a bridge between people my age and people who are 60 or 70 and watching my fights because of my grandfather.”
Ali Walsh shared some of the advice he had received from his legendary grandfather as he began to train for his own professional boxing career.
“My grandfather said he hated every minute of training,” Ali Walsh said. “I didn’t understand what that meant until this training camp. It was so hard. But like he said: ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’ That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Muhammad Ali would finish his boxing career with a record of 56-5 with 37 victories via knockout. The former world champion fought some of the biggest names in the history of the sport including Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton, and Leon Spinks. Outside of the ring, Ali was a champion for equality, fighting alongside Malcolm X. Ali passed away on June 3rd, 2016 at the age of 74.
