“He’s Got It in Him”: While Cautioning Him About Fighting His MMA Fighter Brother, Muhammad Ali’s Grandson Details the “Annoying Route” Jake Paul Needs to Take To Become World Champion (Exclusive)

Published 01/07/2024, 1:13 PM EST

“One of the things that’s popular these days in boxing is calling people out,” noted Kenny Ducey while in a conversation with Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico Ali Walsh and his daughter Rasheda Ali for Essentially Sports fancast. He then tilted the conversation toward the Problem Child, Jake Paul.

Earlier, in a conversation with Wade Plemons, Paul had called on both Nico and his MMA fighter brother, Biaggio for a fight. Confident of beating them both, Paul said, “Just erase them all, I’m down.” However, in the beginning, Biaggio and now Nico, both have ruled out such possibilities citing weight issues. Nico had suggested that if Paul, who recently defeated professional boxer Andre August, went the MMA route, he would further jeopardize his claim to a boxing title match. But what did Nico think Paul should do?

Nico Ali Walsh thinks Jake Paul can do it

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In the latest part of the ‘Muhammad Ali Legacy Series’, Kenny Ducey sought an opinion on what could lead Paul to the championship fights, Nico noted, “If I was in control of his career, it would, so first of all, the mold that he’s in right now is that whole YouTuber Influencer, it’s what do they call it? Crossover boxing…Everyone, like the majority of the boxing world views him as that. So, he would have to break out of that mold.”

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Juxtaposing his own journey toward title fights, a strategy that he thinks could also work in the 26-year-old Paul’s favor, Nico said, “His last fight was against a no-name fighter who’s in his weight class, which he would have to keep making fights like that to progress but if he went that long route, the route that I’m taking where I’m fighting nobodies, but I’m like building in the ranks. Slowly. Slowly, if he did that, and he fought for a title one day, the amount of money he would make is enormous. Because he would have at the point been able to prove himself as not just an Influencer or a YouTuber or whatever..”

Unable to Escape from Muhammad Ali’s Limelight, Here’s How Grandson Nico Ali Walsh Is Paving His Own Legacy in Boxing

This is the route that Nico thinks Paul should take if he wants to become a serious boxer and title contender; a route that he calls, “the long route, the annoying route, that’s not immediately gratifying.” The bottom line? He adds, “…he could do it if he’s got it in him.”

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Do you think Nico’s plan for Jake Paul could work in the latter’s favor? Did you catch Nico Ali Walsh and Raheda Ali’s full interview with the ES fancast? Let us know in the comments section below.

Watch This Story: Muhammad Ali’s Children: Where Are They Now?

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As Manny Pacquiao once said, “Boxing is not about your feelings. It’s about performance.” Through my writing, I hope to bring this performance closer to boxing fans.

Edited by:

Gokul Pillai

“He’s Got It in Him”: While Cautioning Him About Fighting His MMA Fighter Brother, Muhammad Ali’s Grandson Details the “Annoying Route” Jake Paul Needs to Take To Become World Champion (Exclusive)

Nico Ali Walsh thinks Jake Paul can do it

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