At the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the youngster with the famous last name, middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh, ignited the MGM Grand with a brutal first-round knockout over Alejandro Ibarra (7-2, 2 KOs).
Ali Walsh (5-0, 4 KOs), the grandson of heavyweight legend Muhammad Ali, ended matters with a sweeping right hand.
Ali Walsh 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.”
Ali Walsh believes that he’s honorably continuing the boxing legacy of his famous family.
“This is just a testament to all the work I put in. Stuff like this happens when you put the work in,” Ali Walsh said.
“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.”
Also on the card, Raymond Muratalla (14-0, 12 KOs) stopped Jeremy Hill (16-3, 11 KOs) in the third. Enter the danger zone. “Danger” Muratalla became the first man to stop New Orleans native Hill, finishing the fight with a crunching right hand.
Junior Lightweight slugger Andres Cortes (17-0, 10 KOs) blasted out Alexis del Bosque (18-6-1, 9 KOs) in sixth. Cortes, a Las Vegas, native, put on a show for the hometown fans, knocking down Cortes twice in a brutal power punching display. A three-punch combination dropped del Bosque in the sixth. After rising to his feet gingerly, the fight was halted.