The grandson of the greatest boxer who ever lived, Muhammad Ali, revealed he turned down a very lucrative fight offer to take on Jake Paul.
On June 29, 2024, Nico Ali Walsh emerged victorious against his opponent, Sona Akale, despite dislocating his shoulder during the bout. In a post-fight interview, announced he had the opportunity to take on Jaul Paul.
Walsh took aim at the event’s headline fighter, Teofimo Lopez, and claimed that he was only boxing because he was “desperate for money and fame.”
“I just wanna let everyone know that I chose the path of boxing, I chose the path of legacy. If I wanted to, I could be a millionaire right now,” Walsh explained. “Before this fight, I denied a multi-million-dollar contract from MVP Promotions, to fight Jake Paul.”
Jake Paul has been tearing up the boxing scene since his arrival, having secured victories against numerous former UFC stars such as Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz. On July 20, he’s set to battle Mike Perry, who is stepping in for Mike Tyson.
As for why Walsh turned down the offer, it turns out it’s because he has a negative opinion of the influencer boxing scene.
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“I’m not a part of that circus league of boxing. This is the real league of boxing and this is what I’m gonna do,” he said.
While it may not look like Muhammad Ali’s grandson will be stepping into the ring with Jake Paul anytime soon, ‘The Problem Child’ has his share of foes lined up.
After his scheduled bout with Mike Perry in July, Paul is set to finally take on Mike Tyson on November 15, in what will be Netflix’s first-ever live boxing event.
The 27-year-old boxer is also convinced that if he keeps up his success in the ring, he’ll become a boxing champion by 2025.