Nico Ali Walsh, a burgeoning boxer who is the grandson of Muhammad Ali, recently shared video footage of a call he had with boxing’s Greatest, in which his famous grandfather gave him incredible advice.
Walsh, 25, debuted as a pro fighter in 2021 with the nickname ‘The Legend Lives On,’ and has built a commendable record of 12 wins (5 KOs) against two losses and one draw, fighting mostly on Top Rank shows — the company founded by Bob Arum, who famously worked with Ali many decades ago.
Walsh fights next in the Thrilla in Manila part 2 event which takes place on the 29th of October in Quezon City, Philippines, to commemorate the historic bout between Ali and Joe Frazier 50 years ago.
Ahead of the event, it’s likely he’ll be taking heed of advice Ali had for him before he died.
Muhammad Ali’s Advice
Ali’s advice for his grandson, who is trying to follow in his footsteps by making waves in boxing, sounded simple but is hard to pull off, in practice. Regardless, what Ali was basically describing was how Floyd Mayweather worked and operated, and what made TBE a success, just like The Greatest.
“So, do you have any tips for me?” Ali Walsh asked his granddad.
Here’s his advice:
“Stay in shape. Do plenty of road work. Eat right.”
“Papi,” Ali Walsh then said, “what do you think makes a fighter? What do you think is the most important thing in a fighter?”
That’s when Ali channeled the assets that made him so great: “Moving and dancing,” he said.
Watch the video footage right here:
Ali Walsh is not the only fighter in the Ali family to have laced up the gloves. Ali’s daughter, Laila Ali, started it all and became one of the best and most pioneering women in combat sports. There’s also Nico, but Biaggio Ali Walsh — Nico’s brother — also learned the family trade, however, unlike Nico, Laila, and Muhammad, Biaggio went down the mixed martial arts route and is developing at Professional Fighters League.