Legacy! Muhammad Ali’s Grandson Nico Ali Walsh Debuts Tonight on ESPN
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, will follow in the footsteps of the children and grandchildren of other famous fighters, when he makes his pro debut tonight to open the USA ESPN nine bout card at hard Rock Hotel & Casino, on Saturday night, August 14, 2021. 17-0 unbeaten heavyweight prospect Trey Lippe, a son of the late former World Boxing Organisation World Heavyweight champion Tommy “The Duke” Morrison, is the second scheduled bout on the Top Rank card, immediately following the debut of Walsh.
Middleweight Walsh, residing out of the boxing town of Las Vegas, Nevada, has taken the boxing road. Sugar Hill Steward, the trainer of Tyson Fury, is training Walsh. Nobody expects Walsh to be the next Muhammad Ali, and nobody expects Lippe to be the next Tommy Morrison. Walsh is not the only boxing grandson of a heavyweight champion to have tried going pro. The grandson of Ezzard Charles tried it. Walsh has the benefit of a multimillion dollar contract. His grandfather remains a legendary famous name in boxing. The concept of son and grandson legacy in professional sports does not always work. For example, the Boston Red Sox signed John Henry Williams, son of legendary slugger Ted Williams, to a minor league contract, but he never produced, and died at age 35.
Walsh had the experience of 30 amateur bouts, the results of which do not yet appear on BoxRec. In all likelihood, Walsh had a rocky amateur road. Walsh stands 6’0″ to his grandfather Muhammad Ali’s 6’3″. Walsh is not the next GGG, Saul Alvarez, Sugar Ray Robinson, Emile Griffith, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Wilfredo Benitez, Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., Roberto Duran, Vito Antuofermo, Bennie Briscoe, Gerald McClellan, or Carlos Monzon. What Walsh is, simply put, is a name related to a famous name. The sons and daughters of legendary boxing names have tried this road, from Leila Ali to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Tony Harrison of Detroit is an example of a boxing grandson, who via exposure and hard work, did win a world title.
Walsh’s entry into the sport of boxing occurs at an odd time in sports history, whereby the rise and fall and rise again of the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus has put amateur and professional sports, as well of the lives of all of people in the world, in jeopardy. What this time period means in the grand scheme of sports history remains to be seen. The loss of human life in the world indelible. Why the entry of Walsh into the boxing scene cannot be qualified on ability, it does bring some desperately needed favorable publicity to boxing and contact sports, which along with recent Mike Tyson and Floyd exhibitions, is a good thing. Do not expect Walsh to be the next Muhammad Ali, just let him do his own thing.