It looks like the apple has not fallen far from the tree, as Muhammad Ali’s grandson retained his undefeated boxing record on Saturday, 30 April, with a stunning two-punch knockout.
Nico Ali Walsh, 21, is following in his grandfather’s footsteps and forging an impressive boxing career for himself.
Over the weekend, he faced off against Alejandro Ibarra on the Shakur Stevenson-Oscar Valdez undercard at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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Ali Walsh sent Ibarra to the floor with a brutal two-punch combination.
It was all over just two minutes and 51 seconds into the first round, Insider reports.
Referee Russell Mora called off the fight and Ibarra was sent to receive medical attention.
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Twitter users were stunned by the savage knockout, with one writing: “Almost spilled my bourbon watching it live on ESPN.”
Another said: “He's just like his grandfather. Like grandfather like grandson.”
A third added: "Man that was actually a good KO."
Others said that hearing the Las Vegas crowd chant ‘Ali! Ali! Ali!’ brought back memories of Nico’s grandfather – the three-time world heavyweight champion and social activist who died in 2016.
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Saturday’s bout lands Ali Walsh with a 5-0 boxing record, and a fighting chance of living up to his grandfather’s legacy.
Speaking after his victory, Nico said: “This is a testament to all the work that I've put in and stuff like this happens when you put the work in.
“I'm bringing my grandpa back to life, and that's why mom gets so emotional because she's seeing her dad again and hearing her dad's name to me.
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“I was setting him up with the right hand. I noticed his left hand was going down when he threw the jab.
"I was trying to counter it, and that's what I did. I wish the best for him and his team. He's a true warrior. But I just waited for that setup, and I saw it and I took advantage.”
Nico is the son of Rasheda Ali, Muhammad Ali’s daughter.
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Speaking to Sky Sports prior to Saturday’s fight about his grandfather’s legacy, Nico said: “I want to continue my grandfather's legacy in the ring and outside the ring, but while doing so I want to create my own path, a legacy of my own.
“Nobody will be able to do what my grandfather did, nobody will be able to reach the heights that he did, I don't think.
“So that's not what I'm trying to do, I'm not trying to do the impossible. But even better, I'm trying to build off it and create my own thing.”
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Simon Fearn