Nico Ali Walsh harbors dreams of competing in the UK, deeply impressed by the thrilling bout between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn.
Eubank emerged victorious against Benn in their intense middleweight rivalry match held in Tottenham, following 12 intensely fought rounds.
This match between the two “legacy” fighters remarkably echoed the excitement their fathers generated for fans 35 years prior.
The event motivated Ali Walsh, who is the grandson of the legendary Muhammad Ali, to live up to his family`s famous name.
He shared with SunSport: “I really like Eubank. He`s a fantastic guy, and honestly, speaking of the fight, the performance he and Conor Benn delivered was absolutely phenomenal.”
“They fought not just for boxing enthusiasts, but for young fighters from legacy backgrounds, whose families have set precedents. They fought for all of us with similar stories. So yes, it was truly incredible.”
Similar to this dynamic, Eubank Jr had a strained relationship with his father, Chris Sr, when trying to carve out his own career path.
However, they shared an emotional reconciliation on the night of the Benn fight, which arguably fueled that significant victory.
Chris Eubank Sr initially opposed his son following him into the sport and notably forbade it until convinced otherwise by Lennox Lewis.
A reality TV show documented the moment Lewis persuaded Eubank Sr to let his then 13-year-old son pursue boxing, effectively launching Jr`s future in the sport.
Ali Walsh faced a similar challenge with his own parents and revealed that his grandfather was the key figure in gaining their approval.
He commented: “My situation was quite similar in that I was trying to persuade my parents.”
“My grandfather supported it completely from the beginning, but getting my parents fully on board required effort.”
Since becoming a professional in 2021, Ali Walsh has had 15 bouts, securing 12 wins, suffering two losses, and one resulting in a no-contest.
During his amateur career, he participated in 30 fights and attempted to keep his famous last name private until Mike Tyson`s appearance at one of his matches inadvertently revealed his identity.
Ali Walsh secured a victory in Guinea against Ebenezer Sowah in May, bouncing back from an unexpected defeat by Juan Carlos Guerra Jr in February.
The middleweight has now competed in Africa twice, echoing his grandfather`s historic “Rumble in The Jungle” triumph over George Foreman in Congo 50 years ago.
Much like Ali, who fought globally including in England, Ali Walsh is eager to have a similar international career path.
He stated: “Let me tell you something, if I get the opportunity to fight in the UK, it would be life-changing for me.”
“That is the one place on Earth where I’ve always dreamed of competing. Seriously, whether it’s London or any other location in the UK.”
“The boxing fans in the UK surpass those anywhere else globally. They are even better than the fans here in Vegas, which is considered the boxing capital of the world, but I would absolutely love to fight there.”
