Muhammad Ali's grandson Nico Ali Walsh picked his fifth professional win with a brutal first round knockout of Alejandro Ibarra.
Ali Walsh competed against Ibarra on the undercard of Shakur Stevenson vs Oscar Valdez on Saturday night in Las Vegas. The 21-year-old was unbeaten in four fights heading into the middleweight bout whilst Ibarra held a record of 7-1.
He started the fight well by countering Ibarra and landing some great combinations off of his jab. Ibarra was absorbing some hard hooks to the body from Ali Walsh and was getting countered whilst trying to walk him down.
In the final twenty seconds of a dominant first round, Ali Walsh landed a left hook-right hand combination that floored Ibarra and rendered him unconscious before even hitting the canvas. Referee Russell Mora didn't give him a count and waved the fight off instantly.
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Walsh paid tribute to his legendary grandfather, who passed away in 2016, following the win. He explained that his mother Rasheda gets emotional after his fights because he sees the late Ali brought back to life when Ali Walsh competes.
“This is just a testament to all the work I put in. Stuff like this happens when you put the work in. I’m bringing my grandpa back to life, and that’s why mom gets so emotional because she’s seeing her dad again and hearing her dad’s name to me," he said.
“I was setting him up with the right hand. I noticed his left hand was going down when he threw the jab. I was trying to counter it, and that’s what I did. I wish the best for him and his team. He’s a true warrior. But I just waited for that setup, and I saw it and I took advantage."
Before turning professional last August, Ali Walsh spent several months training alongside Gennady Golovkin's trainer Abel Sanchez. He then turned to Tyson Fury's head coach, SugarHill Steward, to help him before having his first professional fight.
Ali Walsh picked up consecutive knockout wins in his first two professional appearances against Jordan Weeks and James Westley. He was taken the distance against Reyes Sanchez later that year, but picked up another stoppage in his fourth fight this January.
