“Dude Has No Identity Other Than Muhammad Ali’s Grandson”: Fans Rip Nico Ali Walsh as He Gets Hero’s Welcome in Africa Ahead of Noel Lafargue Fight

Muhammad Ali once fought in Africa! The legendary bout went down in boxing history as one of the greatest. However, he never would have thought his grandson would do the same one day. Nico Ali Walsh will go toe-to-toe with Noel Lafargue on 16 December at Palais du Peuple in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, as a clip of him arriving in Africa surfaced online, things didn’t go as well as he might have thought.

Recently, Michael Benson turned to X (formerly Twitter) and shared the clip that showed Walsh arriving in Africa while receiving a hero’s welcome. People surrounded the 23-year-old boxer as he walked to his destination. “Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico Ali Walsh being welcomed by locals as he arrives in Guinea, Africa ahead of his fight there on Saturday night,” wrote Benson. However, when the boxing world got their hands on the clip, people ripped into Ali Wash, claiming that he didn’t have an identity of his own. 

Nico Ali Walsh fails to impress

Since the tweet went live on the platform, it has drummed up quite a storm, collecting over 135 K views, nearly 900 hearts, and a plethora of comments. Mind you, these statements are opinions people are entitled to and may or may not necessarily represent the truth about Ali Walsh’s talents. Regardless, here they are. 

One user claimed people only know about Nico because of his legendary grandfather.

Another user suggested that if he lost another fight, he would be kicked off Ali’s family tree. 

Someone else could not wait for Ali Walsh’s marketing to end, claiming it’s boring and no one cares about it.

The next user questioned why Ali Walsh looked so confused in the clip. The user claimed the boxer looked lost.

While most people were bashing him, this user seemed excited, hoping more fights could be arranged in Africa.

With Ali Walsh’s arrival in Africa and the public response to it out of the way, Muhammad Ali’s visit to Africa was a contrasting and far more welcoming experience. You might have heard of it, even if you don’t care about it. It was this little event, that was dubbed the ‘Rumble in the Jungle.’

Rumble in the Jungle with Muhammad Ali

Back in October 1974, Muhammad Ali faced George Foreman in a twelve-round long battle of wits at Kinshasa, Zaire – now Democratic Republic of the Congo. It’s also the fight where Ali’s ‘Rope a Dope’ technique shined the brightest. Despite absorbing numerous blows from Foreman, Ali kept coming back. Foreman had him on the ropes, he whaled on him with the might of the gods, with powers only spoken about in mythologies. But Ali just kept coming back, until eventually, Foreman’s lungs could not handle it anymore. Ali’s endurance had outlasted the raw power of Foreman’s fists. 

Ali even herald taunts at the hardest hitter of the time after Sunny Liston, “You can’t hurt me…You punch like a s***y.” Little by little, everything became clear. As Admiral Ackbar would say-“It’s a trap”, a trap Ali had set for the formidable Foreman, and Foreman walked right into it. Repeatedly, as a matter of fact!

In the end, Ali dropped Foreman in the eighth round of the fight, winning the fight and reclaiming his heavyweight title.

Also Read: “I’m Ali No Matter What”: Muhammad Ali’s Grandson Makes Jaw-Dropping Statement on Legacy of His Name

Nearly five decades after Ali visited Africa, his grandson made his way to the same place for his upcoming fight. However, it failed to interest the boxing world, as people bashed the boxer online. Were you looking forward to the fight? Do you agree with the responses from the boxing community? 

Watch This Story: Remembering this day in history, 30th October 1974 Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman’s Rumble in the Jungle