Muhammad Ali's Grandson Steps Into The Ring For Boxing Debut In Tulsa

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Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, will make his professional fighting debut Saturday night in Tulsa, Okla. And though the 21-year-old is aware of the clout carried by his name, he says he is boxing for himself — not for fame, or a fighter's purse.

Ali Walsh's mother, Rasheda, is the daughter of one of the greatest boxers of all time. That said, there was no pressure for Ali Walsh to pick up his grandfather's gloves, ESPN reported. His mother had suggested other sports instead — soccer or basketball, "like a normal kid," she recalled. But Ali Walsh wouldn't have it. So, seven years ago, he started training seriously.

Though it's early in the middleweight's career, it's been a bumpy road for Ali Walsh. He's won some fights, and he's lost some, according to ESPN. But his grandfather, "Poppy" to Ali Walsh, told him that his amateur record doesn't matter. And when the young fighter occasionally doubted himself, Poppy was there to encourage him to stay in the fight.