NICO ALI WALSH turned down an offer from Jake Paul to avoid tainting his family’s legacy – but he would consider the fight under one condition.
Even boxing’s best in Artur Beterbiev, Canelo Alvarez and Anthony Joshua have all publicly entertained the thought of facing Paul.
Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico turned down an offer to fight Jake Paul[/caption]
Jake Paul offered Nico Ali Walsh a $3m fight deal[/caption]
But Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico revealed he snubbed $3million (£2.2m) to fight the YouTuber-turned-prizefighter last year.
It means the 24-year-old – wise beyond is years – is possibly the only boxing star in the world not interested in Paul’s millions.
Ali Walsh told SunSport: “I can’t be mad at these pro guys that are calling him out, they want the money.
“And obviously, the money they would be getting, they would be getting paid millions to knock out a guy that’s way below the skill level of the guy that they get paid far less to fight.
“So it makes sense for these guys, but for me in particular, that’s not something I want to be remembered by.
“It would really be just tainting my legacy to be getting involved with something like that.”
Ali Walsh announced that he had turned down the approach from Paul’s camp after beating Sona Akale in June 2024.
The middleweight – who fights at 160lb – revealed he was offered the fight at 174lb but snubbed the deal despite the career-high payday on the table.
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He said: “I had a fight coming up, so once I heard Jake Paul, I was like, ‘I’m good.’ But then obviously they mentioned the price but the price wasn’t gonna change my mind.
“They mentioned the weight and stuff like that but as soon as I heard Jake Paul, I was like, ‘I’m good.’
“I mean, listen it’s 100 times more than what I’m fighting for now and I’m fighting guys who are a lot better than him.
“So realistically speaking, any normal guy who would be in my position would be dumb to say no. But I’m a weird case where no Ali should be fighting him.”
Paul, 28, is now 11-1 in his career and returns on Saturday against ex-middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, 39, at cruiserweight.
His last fight was marred in controversy when he beat the returning 58-year-old Mike Tyson over eight rounds as over 100 MILLION watched on Netflix.
Paul’s only defeat came to Tommy Fury, 26, in 2023 when he lost a split-decision in Saudi Arabia.
Ali Walsh meanwhile has 12 wins, two losses and one no-contest in his 15 fights – refusing to entertain the cash-grab fights.
He said: “I’d be doing myself a disservice if they said some crazy number, but it would would hurt me morally so bad to say yes to something like that and just be a part of it.
If they offered me $15million – I’d be dumb to say no but like it would have to go towards charity or something. I would have to make it work morally
Nico Ali Walsh on fighting Jake Paul
“And it wouldn’t just be that fight. Once you go down that road, you’re down the circus road and now you’re never out. Like, I’m going for a title one day.
“That’s my goal is like, I’m on the road of title. And that will bring the money of the $3million plus that’s where the money comes when you do it the right way.
“I’m ready to do it slow and steady, but once you go down that road of clowns, it’ll go from the Jake Paul fight to who knows who they’re gonna want me to fight next?”
Ali Walsh admits only an astronomical figure like $15m (£11m) could convince him to fight Paul.
And even then he would have to donate some of it to charity – following in the footsteps of his humanitarian grandfather.
Ali Walsh said: “He would be fine with me saying or doing anything, but I know in his heart, he would be happy with the decision I actually made and the decision I’m sticking by.
“And if they offered me $15million – I’d be dumb to say no but like it would have to go towards charity or something.
“I would have to make it work morally for me because there’s no reason that I should just be cashing out fighting that kind of guy. I just don’t feel it’s right.
“You would really just be cashing out and then you would never be able to get back into real boxing. I just wouldn’t be respected.”
Ali’s former promoter Bob Arum with Ali Walsh[/caption]
