“I’m fighting for my bloodline and he’s fighting for headlines.” That one statement from Nico Ali Walsh, the grandson of legendary Muhammad Ali, through Sky Sports in June last year, made it extremely clear on the 24-year-old’s stance on fighting YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. Though The Problem Child has called out for a fight multiple times, dating back to early 2022, the 10-0 boxer always focused on building his legacy first, before taking up fights with lucrative paydays.
“I said no before I even heard the numbers. I believe it was upwards of $3m. Of course…that would be money that I’ve never even seen before. But is everything really money? That’s how I was raised,” said Ali in the same interview, pointing towards the fact that it’s all about what price one agrees to sell their pride for. Though this rigid demeanor did soften up when Paul defeated Mike Tyson in November last year, who is just like family to Ali. Suddenly, he wanted to avenge Iron’s loss, just like the 58-year-old once did for his grandfather by beating Larry Holmes. Yet, a fight never reached the ring, and the Chicago native has now once again taken the same old bearing.
Four days ago, podcaster Nester Gibbs posted a clip on @thaboxingvoice, his Instagram handle, trying to serve Ali the fear of missing out on an enormous opportunity. “Nico just fumbled that Jake [Paul] bag,” he stated disappointingly, talking about how it would’ve been the 10-2 boxer’s cue to earn an amount he’s never yet made in his career. “He should’ve just took the Jake fight and lost to Jake for a million dollars. Or maybe even Jake would have been more generous than a million,” Gibbs continued.
Dwelling into the reasons Ali had mentioned for not wanting to fight the 11-1 Cleveland native, he dived in deeper. “You say you did not take the Jake Paul fight cause he’s not real boxing. But it’s Jake Paul that has better wins than Nico and about to fight a bigger opponent [Julio César Chávez Jr.] than Nico’s ever faced,” the journalist stated, mentioning Paul’s upcoming fight on June 28. Taking it further, Gibbs went on to the verge of calling Paul the better fighter.
“While he’s taking shots at Jake, that Jake isn’t a real fighter, it seems like Jake is doing better in boxing. Now, granted, Jake lost to Tommy Fury, but Tommy Fury is on a higher level than everybody that Nico Ali Walsh has lost to,” he stated, plainly. Now, looking from just a thin lens, all of that may seem true, but that is not how boxing matches work. How a bout goes is up to both the fighters involved rather than who’s defeated whom. Coming forth with a bold reference to the Paul-Tyson fight, Walsh just commented jokingly below the post, “Crazy how fighting a 60 year old puts you ahead these days Respectfully though.”
Which reverts it all back to one thing—Nico Ali continuing his grandfather’s legacy. And things like that take time. But, he’s surely putting steps onwards in that direction.
Nico Ali Walsh relives one of Muhammad Ali’s biggest bouts
After gaining a decision victory over Sona Akale in a June 2024 rematch despite a dislocated shoulder, in the post-fight interview of which, he had revealed rejecting the MVP’s offer for fighting Paul. “I just wanna let everyone know that I chose the path of boxing, I chose the path of legacy. If I wanted to, I could be a millionaire right now,” Ali told fans in the post-fight-interview. And, the words that he repeatedly conveyed were echoed when he fought and took over the undefeated Ghanian fighter, Ebenzer Sowah at the Sipopo Conference Center in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea just days ago on May 10th.
Nico Ali was coming off suffering his second career loss from Juan Carlos Guerra Jr. in February this year, when he was still fresh off from his injury. But, as the Japanese say, “Fall seven times, stand up eight,” that is what the 6’0″ boxer did. He got up and fought Sowah (7-0, 7 KOs). He adapted to Sowah’s wild swings and fading power to earn a majority decision, to secure a majority decision victory, with judges’ scorecards reading 58-56, 57-57, 59-55, in favor of Ali.
This bout mirrored Muhammad Alir’s 1974 Rumble in the Jungle win against late George Foreman, which happened in Africa too. The crowd that night had chanted in a synchrony, “Ali boma ye,” which translates to “Ali, kill him.” Walsh dedicated this win to Foreman, as a nod to the warrior’s legacy and heroism. With an improved record, he may now move on to answering the long ringing calls from Jake Paul’s camp, or move on to carve the path he’s moving on to build a legacy like his grandfather. Do you think Nico Ali Walsh would want to fight Jake Paul now?
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