“The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali, once fought on through the unimaginable pain of a broken jaw. Ali suffered the injury against Ken Norton, who won a decision over him way back in 1973. And last night, Ali’s grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, showed real heart and grit by fighting on with a dislocated shoulder.
(Courtesy: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
Facing Sona Akale, the only man to have beaten him as a pro, middleweight Ali Walsh won via six round unanimous decision, the scores being 58-55, 57-56, 57-56, thus Ali Walsh avenged the points loss he suffered against Akale last summer. Now 10-1(5), the 23-year-old from Chicago scored a knockdown in round three, but he badly hurt himself in the fifth, while in round six, Ali Walsh suffered a shoulder dislocation. Akale of Minneapolis is now 9-2(4).
With the bone “sticking out,” as the commentator said on air during the action, Ali Walsh tried to shove his shoulder back in place. The pain doubtless throbbing through him, Ali Walsh dug in and fought to the final bell. In showing his raw courage last night, Ali Walsh proved he is no gimmick fighter who is merely cashing in on his super-famous surname. Ali Walsh can fight; his heart and guts cannot be questioned.
Ali Walsh’s Grit
After last night’s important win, Ali Walsh said he had been offered a lot of money to fight Jake Paul, but he turned it down because he didn’t wish to be part of “that circus league of boxing.”
“I fought a real fighter tonight,” Ali Walsh added.
That he did, and he also fought through an injury that would have made a lesser fighter quit. It will be interesting to see who Ali Walsh is matched with in his next fight and beyond. Can Ali Walsh go all the way and become a world champion? Maybe.
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