There have been a wide array of professional boxers who have had their children – or grandchildren – compete in the sport of boxing and achieve moderate or even great success. Is Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of Muhammad Ali, a genuine legitimate competitor in the sport, or merely a prop for his promoters to use and benefit from?
Floyd Mayweather Jr., son of former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Sr., is perhaps the most well-known person on this list, but there are plenty of other cases of both former and current professional boxers who have followed in the footsteps of their parent or grandparent and generated similar success with potentially more to follow. Chris Eubank Jr. – who will be participating in his thirty-fifth bout as a professional – is also another well-known example of a son of a boxer that has found his lane within the sport.
Laila Ali herself, a daughter of Muhammad Ali and aunt of Nico Walsh, participated in the sport of boxing, as well as his brother Rahman Ali. Laila is known for an undefeated career where she became a multi-world champion, also becoming the face of women’s boxing in the process. She ventured into boxing despite protests from her father, and carved out a prestigious career that is only now being outdone by the current crop of female boxers.
Nico Ali Walsh – who boasts a record of 7-0, 5 KO’s – has not shown to lack talent thus far as a Middleweight, and he has taken to fighting lesser opponents with winning records – as opposed to other prospects who started their careers against fighters with losing records – which will ultimately benefit his progress. Trained since the before the dawn of his pro career by Sugar Hill Steward – current trainer of WBC Heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury – Ali may have a bright future in the sport of boxing.
The concern however, is not about an apparent lack or abundance of talent he may have, but the manner in which Muhammad Ali’s legacy is put at stake every time his grandson enters the ring, and the efforts by his promoters to market him as Ali’s grandson, rather than a talented boxer in his own right.
Though there have been a ton of boxers that had a name of their parent or grandparent attached with them, most strikingly in the case with Laila Ali, the fallout of a potential loss of said boxer carries more weight than for a regular boxer. With Nico Ali, the stakes are even higher given his grandfather is not only considered to be a legend, but the greatest of all time.
It is common for commentators, interviewers and reporters to mention the name of a parent of an incumbent boxer. It is expected almost; for example Tim Tszyu in his latest press conference was naturally compared to his father, former Super Welterweight legend Kostya Tszyu. Chris Eubank Jr. himself has almost always had to confront his father’s career with his own, especially in televised programs such as the Gloves Are Off.
It is expected, rather, in the sport of boxing to market the offspring of a notable boxer for rather obvious reasons. But Nico Ali Walsh is somewhat of a special case. The legacy of his grandfather exceeds that of the parents/grandparents of aforementioned or other boxers. Muhammad Ali was bigger than the sport, as illustrated in an earlier article, and his name thus carries more weight than any other offspring of a legendary boxer had to carry.
Promoted by long-existing boxing promotion, Top Rank – for who Muhammad Ali fought at some point, and even became a equity owner for when founded, the promotion outfit has not shunned in the slightest in attaching Muhammad Ali’s name to Nico Ali Walsh. This adds extra unwarranted pressure and attention to a young boxer who will need to deal with burgeoning expectations as a result for the rest of his career.
Unlike other offspring of boxers, Nico Ali will not be able to avoid the comparisons to his grandfather, nor the benefit of the doubt when it comes to what he is expected to do in the ring. It would take an exceptionally talented or dedicated boxer to traffic through the shadow of such a boxer, and though Nico Walsh is talented, he is not a considerable talent when compared to other prospects in the sport, or his weight class.
He has the opportunities to improve, but with a relatively short amateur career of around thirty fights, Nico Walsh faces an uphill battle when it comes to getting to the top level and remaining there. There is every bit a chance that he will lose at some point, perhaps to a champion, a contender, or an opponent that’s on the fringes of being considered an elite competitor.
Because of Top Rank continuously using Muhammad Ali’s name alongside Nico Walsh – and Nico not shirking from attaching Muhammad Ali’s name to his own, Ali’s legacy can be legitimately considered to be at risk.
That is however, if one considers Muhammad Ali’s legacy to be capable of being diminished by his descendants. As a person and as an athlete, Muhammad Ali’s legacy may be considered to far extend any damage his descendants might cause. His accomplishments in and outside of boxing are in a league of its own, and his position as a cultural icon and the “Greatest of All Time” would not so easily be dissuaded by whatever his offspring do in their lives.
It is likely that Nico Ali Walsh can become a great competitor in the sport of boxing, but Muhammad Ali’s legacy has already been set. Nico Walsh will perhaps always be connected to Muhammad Ali regardless of his own achievements, but that would be a natural occurrence for anyone whose ancestor had done great deeds in their respective field.
It’s safe to say Nico Ali Walsh has his destiny in his own hands. He carries a name that meant – and still means – a lot to others, but he himself has a name of his own to put in the annals of history. With continued dedication to the sport of boxing, Nico Ali Walsh stands a chance to set himself apart, just as Floyd Mayweather Jr., Chris Eubank Jr., Tim Tszyu and others have done. He can choose to be the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. of the sport, a son of a legendary boxer with all the talent to be at the top but no real drive to doing so, or he can do like most other offspring and achieve greatness of their own, regardless of who their parent/grandparent was or is.
He is in a unique position in this case, to not only make people reminisce of what his grandfather has done in boxing, but to remind them that no matter one’s background or parentage, every individual is capable of setting a path of greatness for themselves.
Nico Ali Walsh can be the hero or villain of his story, depending on the subjective opinions of the boxing world. We hope that the former will be the case for Nico Walsh, and that he will be able to maintain a healthy and competitive journey within the sport, one that only further benefits the sport, himself and his family.
