Nico Ali Walsh reacts to being compared to Muhammad Ali – “They’re always gonna fall short”

Nico Ali Walsh discussed being compared to his late grandfather, the great Muhammad Ali. The 21-year-old is the son of Rashida Ali, daughter of the legendary heavyweight whom many regarded as the greatest boxer of all time

In an interview with Boxing Social, 'The Ghost' revealed that he doesn't let the pressure of being an Ali get to him inside the ring. According to Walsh, he remains focused on improving his skillset as a boxer:

“I don’t feel the pressure of getting a knockout or even performing well. I just want to win and improve every single fight. That’s my only goal.”

Ali Walsh made his pro boxing debut in August of last year by quickly dispatching Jordan Weeks inside one round. He made waves again on his Las Vegas debut over the weekend when he recorded a one-punch, first-round knockout victory over Alejandro Ibarra. The budding pro boxer now has a 5-0 win-loss card.

Despite the impressive win, the young fighter still believes that his achievements will pale in comparison to his late grandfather:

"When comes to my grandfather and the way they compare me to him, they're always gonna fall short when they compare me no matter how great I am or how many knockouts I get. So they'll learn not to compare me to not just my grandfather but to anybody."

Nevertheless, the prodigy doesn't see the comparison as unfair on his part. He said:

“I don’t think it’s unfair. I understand it because obviously I’m his grandson, I’m his family, that’s the first thing they wanna do... That's what they do in any sports or anything in general, they compare someone coming up with the absolute best. And I think it’s flattering that they wanna compare me, someone with five fights, to the greatest fighter that’s ever lived.”

Watch Nico Ali Walsh’s full interview below:

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Nico Ali Walsh is a big fan of Canelo Alvarez

If his grandfather is the greatest boxer who has ever lived, Nico Ali Walsh thinks present day boxing’s greatest is Canelo Alvarez.

Walsh recently expressed his support for ‘Cinnamon’ ahead of his upcoming fight against Dmitry Bivol. The 21-year-old posted a photo of him with the Mexican boxer in the gym together and said:

"The greatest fighter of my time.”

Canelo Alvarez is getting ready to take on WBA Light-Heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. A win could cement the Mexican’s status as the best pound-for-pound boxer today.