Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, needed less than a round to record his first professional victory on his Saturday night debut.
Ali Walsh’s fight with Jordan Weeks was only going one way when his opponent was knocked down in a minute and a half. Walsh was promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank, 55 years after Arum had staged his first of Ali’s bouts.
While Weeks was able to recover briefly, the referee intervened when Ali Walsh then delivered a series of powerful punches to his opponent, stopping the fight with less than two minutes on the clock.
Ali Walsh was wearing white shorts given to him by his grandfather, and was able to call upon SugarHill Steward in his corner.
Discussing his legendary namesake, Ali Walsh said after the fight: "I've been thinking about him so much. I miss him.
"It seems like a lot of pressure but, to me, he's just my grandfather. To the crowd he is the greatest fighter who ever lived and maybe the greatest person.
"To me? He's the greatest grandfather!"
Of Arum, who promoted 27 fights with Ali including the ‘Thrilla in Manila’, he said: "He promoted my grandfather and now me. It's ridiculous. Something that should be in a Hollywood movie."