Celebrity boxing matches are a ‘circus’ and Muhammad Ali’s boxer grandson wants nothing do with them. Yes, Nico Ali Walsh, who just won against Sona Akale revealed that he had been offered a few million dollars to box with Jake Paul but had refused.
During the post-fight interview, the phenom clapped back at the Super Lightweight champion, Teofimo Lopez for discrediting him. He then went on to talk about having chosen the path of legacy; the path of boxing after having declined a multi-million dollar contract from MVP promotions to fight the ‘Problem Child’.
“Before this fight, I denied a multi-million dollar contract from MVP Promotions to fight Jake Paul and I’m fighting a real fighter tonight. So, I’m not part of that circus league of boxing.”
“I’m not part of that circus league of boxing”
Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico Ali Walsh just said he turned down a multi-million dollar offer to fight Jake Paul 😬 pic.twitter.com/5sZGOuS61F
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) June 30, 2024
For the unversed, Lopez had earlier alleged that the 23-year-old was only after money and fame, deeming that he was not staying true to his core. This accusation did not sit well with the youngster who defeated Lopez and declared his love for boxing to the world.
Ali Walsh showed his heart on Saturday, going the full distance against his rival despite fighting with a dislocated shoulder.
Walsh silences critics after avenging loss
Prior to Saturday’s bout, both Nico Ali Walsh and his longtime rival Slink Proper aka Sona Akale both held the record of 9-1. After 6 rounds of middleweight boxing over the weekend, Ali Walsh is now 10-1 and Akale has been pushed to 9-2.
The two previously met last year when the St Paul boxer handed Ali’s grandson his first professional loss, stunning the community with a major upset.
But the 23-year-old was determined to prove his mettle and did so, knocking down Akale in round three. Managing the distance exceptionally well, Walsh used his range effectively but ran into trouble when Akale found his chin in R5, which was followed by a dislocated shoulder in R6.
Yes, even though the youngster weathered the storm and showed his heart but the worst of the exchange came when Ali Walsh popped his shoulder.
While he tried to make a quick fix in between the rounds, he was fortunate that Akale had emptied his gas tank by then and managed to walk away with a decision win.
