"I'm a professional boxer with a 2-0 record, and I'm the grandson of Muhammad Ali," said Nico Ali Walsh.
[Ads /]
Saturday night, Nico, an up-and-coming middleweight, will fight live on ESPN in hopes to make a name for himself, all while honoring the greatest to ever step into the ring, the man he calls Poppy.
"I fell in love with it at a very young age, before I even knew my grandfather was this larger-than-life hero," Nico said. "So I fell in love with it, and I stuck with it when my grandfather gave me his blessing."
What would Poppy say if he could see him fight at Madison Square Garden Saturday night?
[Ads /]
"I think he would say something along the lines of, 'Just have fun,'" added Nico. "That's what he was all about. I want to see where boxing takes me. I know it took my grandfather to the moon and back, so if it can take me a quarter of that distance, then I'd be very happy."