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      Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico eyes UK debut fight after being inspired by Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn classic

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      NICO ALI WALSH is dreaming of fighting in the UK – having been left in awe at Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn’s thriller. Eubank beat Benn in their middleweight grudge match at Tottenham after 12 brutally classic rounds. Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico with Chris Eubank JrCredit: XEubank beat Conor Benn at TottenhamCredit: GettyThe pair of nepo babies somehow managed to match the thriller their father’s treated fans to 35 years ago. And it inspired Ali Walsh – grandson to boxing’s Greatest Muhammad Ali – to live up to his iconic surname. He told SunSport: “I love Eubank. He’s an awesome dude and then the fight, I mean, just a quick side note, the fight that him and Conor Benn put on was absolutely amazing.“They put it on for, not just boxing fans, but they put it on for the kids who come from legacy, the kids who come from backgrounds where their family has done something before them. They put it on for all of us. So yeah, that was amazing.” READ MORE IN boxing Eubank fell out with his eccentric dad Chris Sr after trying to walk his own path in the sport. But the two emotionally reconciled on the night of his fight with Benn – which helped inspire the iconic victory. Eubank Sr never wanted his son to follow in his footsteps – and infamously banned him until Lennox Lewis helped convince him otherwise. Reality TV cameras captured the moment Lewis talked Eubank Sr into allowing his 13-year-old son to box – paving the way for Jr’s career. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSAli Walsh had a similar fight on his hands with his parents – and revealed it was his grandad who helped get him the green light. He said: “My situation was a lot like that where I was trying to convince my parents. Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico tried to hide his famous surname before Mike Tyson blew his cover “My grandfather was on board 100 per cent from the start, but I was trying to convince my parents to get on board.” Ali Walsh is now 15 fights into his career since turning professional in 2021, winning 12 times, losing twice with one no-contest. As an amateur, he had 30 bouts and tried to keep his surname a secret until Mike Tyson showed up to one of his fights and blew his cover. Ali Walsh returned with victory in Guinea against Ebenezer Sowah in May after a shock loss to Juan Carlos Guerra Jr in February. The middleweight has twice fought in Africa – 50 years after his grandfather’s famous Rumble in The Jungle win against George Foreman in Congo.Ali fought all around the world, including England and now Ali Walsh is desperate to do the same. He said: “Let me tell you something, if I fight in the UK, if I get told that I’m fighting in the UK, that would change my life.Read More on The Sun“That’s the one place on earth I’ve always wanted to fight. Seriously, London or anywhere in the UK. “The boxing fans in the UK are better than anywhere on Earth. They’re better than here in Vegas and Vegas is the capital of the world for boxing but I would love to fight there.” Nico Ali Walsh with his grandfather More

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      Adam Azim out to prove he is ready to fight American star Devin Haney after accepting bout on ONE WEEKS’ notice

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      ADAM AZIM is ready to prove he is ready for the likes of Devin Haney – after accepting a super short-notice fight. Azim faces Mexico’s Eliot Chavez this Saturday in Barnsley after having just a week to prepare for the bout. Adam Azim is ready to prove he is ready for the likes of Devin HaneyCredit: Richard Pelham / The SunAzim’s next opponent is Eliot ChavezCredit: Facebook But the ultra-fit and professional super-lightweight always stays ready for any challenge – even against boxing’s best. Azim, 22, told Sky Sports: “I would fight Haney next week. I just feel he’s more moving around and doesn’t want to initiate attacks. “He is a top-level fighter but I don’t think he’s the same fighter that he was before. “If he’s running on the backfoot, throwing one jab every two rounds, why not?”READ MORE IN BOXINGHaney, 26, was dropped three times by Ryan Garcia, also 26, in April 2026 in what looked to be his first defeat. But the result was overturned when Garcia returned a positive drug test for ostarine – known to boost muscle growth. Haney had his undefeated record restored and returned with a dull points win over Jose Ramirez, 32, in New York in May. Garcia – who accepted a one-year ban but blamed the positive test on a tainted supplement – also fought on the same night. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBut he was stunned in defeat to Rolly Romero, 29, having been dropped before losing on points. Azim is targeting the top names at the 140lb division Haney used to rule as WBC champion – and slammed the American’s safety-first style. Three-weight world champion Vasily Lomachenko retires after more than 400 FIGHTS in lengthy videoHe said: “For me I can fight front foot and back foot. “Haney, I think he’s got enough power just to keep someone off, but I don’t think he has that one-punch power.”But I think if I was going to fight him I think I’d beat him with speed.”Former WBC world champion Devin HaneyCredit: X / Realdevinhaney More

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      ‘I love the chaos’ – Why Fabio Wardley’s fight with Justis Huni won’t even be the biggest night of his month

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      FABIO WARDLEY has the two most important nights of his life inside the next ten DAYS.Ipswich’s 30-year-old former recruitment worker and white-collar boxer headlines Portman Road on Saturday night against tough Australian Justis Huni.Fabio Wardley ahead of fighting Justis HuniCredit: GettyAnd on June 16 his partner is scheduled to give birth to his first child, a bouncing baby girl.For anyone else, the nail-biting fortnight would be a crippling rollercoaster of emotions impossible to combine. But the Suffolk Puncher – who went on an Oleksandr Usyk sparring trip to Ukraine in 2018 when he barely knew how to throw a jab – is loving the chaos.The class act told SunSport: “June 2025 is going to be a wild month I talk a lot about, for the rest of my life.READ MORE IN BOXING“I will be an old man in a rocking chair, telling people about it and wondering how we pulled it off.“Everything has come together at the same time, it might seem a bit hectic but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I thrive on it, I love the chaos.”Nine months ago, the 18-0-1 ace got the wonderful news he would be a dad for the first time.And a few weeks later he got the offer of a lifetime, to headline at his boyhood football club, a chance that some Olympic and world champions never get.Most read in BoxingWardley and his girlfriend are expecting their first child togetherCredit: Instagram @fabiowardleyCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSIt seems like a psychological and logistical nightmare that would be destined for the divorce courts but Team Wardley is way too tight.“If my little girl is anything like me, then she’ll be chilled out and late, which will give me a little bit more time to decompress from the fight,” he grinned.Fabio Wardley faces off with Justis Huni ahead of his homecoming fight “The flight date has been moved around a few times but my missus has been unbelievable.“I have just promised to her that, as soon as Saturday night is over, I am all theirs.“This week, though, is just my week. I need to be totally focused on me and then it’s all on them.”Wardley – who cracked 2020 Olympic bronze winner Frazer Clarke’s skull in their one-round rematch in October – somehow combines being a brutal boxer with being a lovely bloke and he insists that won’t change with another win or a baby.“I don’t know how parenthood will affect me,” he said. “I do plan to be the fun-dad though. I want mum to do the telling off.“I think I will always be driven to push myself in everything, though. Everything has come together at the same time, it might seem a bit hectic but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I thrive on it, I love the chaos.“That’s something just innate in me. And I am sure I will need to feed and stoke that fire regularly.”One thing Wardley would NEVER do, despite the baffling suggestion from some clumsy pundits, is fight his mentor and pal Dillian Whyte.After following all of Wardley’s career, we were stunned to hear the idea even mooted and Wardley floored it.“You’re 100 per cent right, for once.” he laughed.“From the second it would be announced, everybody who knows the sport and who knows us, would know it would be fake and not something I would ever do, because of the amount of love, respect and admiration I have for Dills.“People go on about my story, white-collar, coming from nowhere, sparring Usyk.”But none of that is possible without Dillian at the beginning, giving me all of these opportunities. So I would never spit in his face and fight him.“Even if all the sanctioning bodies called for the fight and somebody was silly enough to put all the money up, I would take a knee in the first round and give him the win.”Whyte was due to feature on the Ipswich undercard but pulled out to secure a summer showdown with Lawrence Okolie.He has not boxed in England since November 2022 and was supposed to have a rematch with Anthony Joshua in August 2023.Read More on The SunBut that O2 sell-out was scrapped when Whyte failed a doping test.Whyte has boxed in Gibraltar and Ireland since that big-money clash was binned, landing underwhelming wins.Wardley is managed and mentored by Dillian WhyteCredit: matchroom boxing More

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      I’m related to the greatest boxer ever but changed my name to make my own way – it worked until Mike Tyson showed up

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      NICO ALI WALSH has the most famous surname in boxing history but he kept it a secret – until Mike Tyson blew his cover. The 24-year-old is the grandson of Muhammad Ali – affectionately known as The Greatest.Mike Tyson with Nico Ali WalshCredit: X/nicoaliwalshNico’s parents – including Ali’s daughter Rasheda whose sister Laila was a champion boxer – never wanted him to enter the family business. But by 14, Ali Walsh – with the help of his grandfather – convinced his family to allow him to start boxing. It came with just one condition though, he had to hide his iconic Ali surname. Ali Walsh told SunSport: “Of course, I left out the name. Even back when I was 15 years old, my full name is Nico Ali Walsh, but I cut out the Ali.READ MORE IN boxing “I said my name is Nico Walsh, but they found out somehow. My parents were not on board with saying Ali either.”I don’t know how, they would just start announcing it at amateur fights. So it didn’t last long. The incognito version of myself didn’t last very long.”It turns out boxing great Tyson – a close friend of hero Ali’s – might have played a part in Nico’s secret being exposed.He revealed: “It probably started around my third amateur fight because I started having weird people show up to my fights.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS“Like my third amateur fight was here in Vegas and Mike Tyson found out I was fighting and he and his wife Kiki texted my mum and was like, ‘Hey, we heard Nico’s fighting here. Mike wants to come to the fight.’“So Mike ended up coming to my amateur fight and it was just him, whoever he was with, and then my family.Three-weight world champion Vasily Lomachenko retires after more than 400 FIGHTS in lengthy video“So there was like 7/8 people in the crowd, and it was just us, so I guess people may have started realising it.“I started having weird people show up to my fights. Why is Mike Tyson showing up to this guy’s amateur fight? And he left right after.“So that may have contributed to people finding out.”With Ali Walsh’s name was no longer secret, he had close to 30 amateur bouts before turning professional in 2021.And he did so with legendary promoter Bob Arum, who staged some of Ali’s most iconic fights. By now, Ali Walsh is no stranger to rivals looking to make a name for themselves by trying to tear down his name – even behind closed doors.Ali Walsh tried to hide his famous surname in the amateursBut Tyson accidentally helped blow his coverHe said: “Sparring and training, it’s never 100 per cent of the time. “Sparring is where you work on things and you do certain things, but whenever I go outside of someone that I directly know, they’re trying to knock me out in sparring.“Everyone who spars me is trying to knock me out. So it’s very annoying, but I’ve gotten that my entire professional career.“I had that sometimes in my amateur career but now it’s like people are coming at me trying to absolutely take my head off in the gym. “And they do it in fights too. I don’t care what you do in a fight, but in the gym, it gets ridiculous at some points.”Ali Walsh is now 15 fights into his pro career, with 12 wins, two losses and one no-contest. A young Ali Walsh with his grandadAli Walsh with his grandad before the sporting great’s sad passing in 2016Promoter Bob Arum with Ali WalshCredit: Top Rank/Mikey WilliamsHe bounced back with victory against Ebenezer Sowah in Guinea in May following a shock defeat to Juan Carlos Guerra Jr last February.And Ali Walsh has stayed true to his roots by refusing to entertain cash-grab fights against the likes of Jake Paul. The middleweight prospect even turned down a $3million (£2.2m) offer to fight the 11-1 YouTuber-turned-boxer last year. Ali Walsh explained: “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.Read More on The Sun“I feel like whenever people try to tell me, ‘Nico, you should have done this or you should have done that.’ No one can tell me what to do with the Ali name except for an Ali.“So nobody outside of my family will understand what I’m talking about. So I don’t take advice from anyone else who tries to come at me with that kind of stuff.”Ali Walsh is 15 fights into his pro careerCredit: EPAJake Paul offered Ali Walsh £2.2m to fightCredit: Getty More

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      Josh Kelly played against Jordan Pickford but now eyes title fight against ‘freak’ champ who’s as tall as Anthony Joshua

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      JOSH KELLY once played alongside Jordan Pickford – now he is targeting world title fights against champions taller than the England No1.Kelly spent two years in Sunderland’s academy but was booted out when he struggled to juggle it with boxing. Josh Kelly used to play for Sunderland’s academyCredit: Instagram @joshkelly07Jordan Pickford once played with Kelly at SunderlandCredit: Getty Images – GettyBut the Black Cats fan admits it was probably for the best having excelled in the ring after giving football the KO. He told The Northern Echo: “I was in the academy from 11 until I was about 13. I was in and out of the academy and development centre. “I remember playing in one training game and Pickford was in goal! I did well. “I think I could have done OK in football but when I was making weight for boxing I didn’t really mature as quickly as the other guys, and I made the decision to focus on my boxing.READ MORE IN BOXING”I was trying to run both next to each other. I played for Hartlepool a little bit. But it’s hard to focus on both. “I remember coming off one day and talking to my dad, a lot of the lads were a lot more mature than me, I was weight draining myself for the boxing and trying to diet and I knew I had to do this or that.”When I started boxing for England and going places, that was the natural step.”Kelly was a decorated amateur, representing Great Britain at World and European level. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSHe went onto qualify for the 2016 Olympics but was eliminated in the second round by Daniyar Yeleussinov of Kazakhstan. Kelly then turned professional in 2017 and looked to be one of the most promising talents in world boxing, with flashy speed and eye-catching combinations.Josh Kelly vows to KO Conor Benn and slams Chris Eubank Jr in double call out But after drawing to unknown American Ray Robinson in 2019 and losing to David Avanesyan two years later, Kelly’s career came into question. He built his way back up slowly, moving up from welterweight to light-middleweight, where he won the British title. But Kelly is eyeing the 154lb big dogs – quite literally – with his eyes on 6ft 6in WBC and WBO champion Sebastian Fundora.He told BoxingScene: “Tall; awkward; readable; I feel like he’s readable; he’s a freak as well.”Despite weighing the 11 stone limit, Fundora stands the same height as 18 stone heavyweight Anthony Joshua.He beat Tim Tszyu for the WBO title and the vacant WBC belt. Kelly meanwhile also has Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn in his sights after their second generation grudge match in April. Benn, 28, moved up from welterweight for the fight but was beaten by Eubank, 35, after 12 thrilling rounds. Kelly returns on Friday in Newcastle against 24-1 Romanian Flavius Biea. Read More on The SunBut he said on his future plans: “Well, Benn or Eubank or someone like that would be cool.“So, just big fights – just ones that will get people talking, ones that will get people excited, ones where you get excited.” Sebastian Fundora is 6ft 6in tallCredit: Getty More

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      Olympic bronze medalist Lewis Richardson, 28, set for professional boxing debut at stadium where he used to sell pies

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      LEWIS RICHARDSON flogged Pukka Pies as a schoolboy in the same Ipswich stadium he’ll earn his first real crust in on Saturday.The 2024 Olympic bronze winner helped put himself through his GCSEs and A-levels by serving up grub to hungry Tractor Boys at Portman Road over a decade ago.Lewis Richardson returns to the same stadium he sold pies for his pro boxing debutCredit: GettyRichardson won bronze in the 2024 OlympicsCredit: GettyRichardson turned professional in May 2025Credit: GettyAnd the Colchester southpaw will break into the paid ranks by filling in Dmitri Protkunas, just down the road from his family home in a dream debut.He told SunSport: “Despite it being so close, this is probably the first time I have been in Ipswich for a year.“I came for one night out here when I was younger but I quickly realised that I had to stay true to my roots back in Colchester.“I did do some matchday shifts here, though, serving up the Pukka Pies.Read More on Boxing“I did the same job at Colchester when I was around 16 and when Ipswich were short staffed a few times, we got the call to come over – and now I am boxing here, it’s crazy.“I thought a London debut at York Hall or Wembley Arena was going to be a perfect start but Ipswich football stadium is unreal.“All the friends and family who have talked about attending my first pro fight would have had to book trains or hotels.“But we don’t even need to arrange minibuses for anyone, it’s a 29 minute drive from my front door, so everyone is happy sharing taxis for a great night.”Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSRichardson turned 28 on Wednesday but had to bin his birthday plans to make the middleweight limit for this weekend.The spicy celebrations have been pushed back but the silky southpaw plans to put in a curry order worthy of a Gavin and Stacey special, to make up for the diet.Three-weight world champion Vasily Lomachenko retires after more than 400 FIGHTS in lengthy video“The birthday is postponed for four days,” he revealed to us. “The party is pushed back to Sunday.“I have a curry house booked in Colchester for 15 of us and my mouth is watering just talking to you about it now.“I can’t even think about my order now.”But I can say for sure that I will sound like Smithy with the number of bhunas and naans and rice types I am going to order.” More

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      Gender row Olympic champion Imane Khelif skips tournament days after World Boxing announce mandatory sex testing

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      IMANE KHELIF will SKIP the Eindhoven Box Cup just a week after World Boxing announced mandatory sex testing for all athletes.The Algerian, along with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting, was the focal point of an explosive gender row that dominated the 2024 Olympics in Paris last summer.Olympic champion Imane Khelif will skip the Eindhoven Box CupCredit: AFPKhelif will miss the tournament after failing to register in timeCredit: APKhelif’s absence comes just days after World Boxing announced mandatory sex testing for all athletes under their jurisdictionCredit: REUTERSKhelif fought at the Games 18 months after being banned from competing at the Women’s World Championships for allegedly failing a gender eligibility test.The alleged test administered by the International Boxing Association is said to have determined that both Khelif and Yu-Ting have male XY chromosomes.The pair, however, were permitted to compete by the IOC because of their female passport statuses, to the fury of many.Less than a year after the scandal, World Boxing announced all participants in competitions under their jurisdiction will have to undergo sex testing.READ MORE IN BOXINGAnd Khelif won’t be in action at their first event since the announcement in Eindhoven having missed the deadline to register.Eindhoven Cup media director Dirk Renders said: “The decision of Imane’s exclusion is not ours. We regret it.”Mayor of Eindhoven Joren Dijsselbloem has blasted World Boxing’s decision to implement mandatory sex testing.In a letter to the Dutch Boxing Federation and the International Boxing Federation, he said: “As far as we are concerned, all athletes are welcome in Eindhoven.Most read in Boxing”Excluding athletes based on controversial ‘gender tests’ certainly does not fit in with that.Imane Khelif faced a barrage of abuse after forcing Angela Carini to quit just 46 seconds into their opening match at the Paris GamesCredit: REXKhelif is facing fresh claims she’s a ‘biological male’ following the leaking of the alleged test she failed before the 2023 Women’s World Championships”We are expressing our disapproval of this decision today and are calling on the organization to admit Imane Khelif after all.”Khelif won Algeria’s first-ever female gold medal in boxing at the Paris Games. Gender row Olympics boxer Imane Khelif fires defiant message to Donald Trump after ‘eye-opening experience’ She was subjected to a torrent of abuse on social media after forcing Italy’s Angele Carina to quit just 46 seconds into their opening bout. Her stoppage of Carini sparked claims the gender eligibility test she failed before the 2023 World Championships deemed her to be a “biological male”. That alleged test, which was conducted in New Delhi, was recently published by 3 Wire Sports. The document claimed that chromosome analysis revealed a “male karyotype”. A karotype is the set of chromosomes possessed by an individual.Khelif has yet to speak on the alleged report, but has maintained that she is a biological female from the outset.And she has taken legal action against a number of prominent figures for alleged “aggravated cyber-harassment”, including Elon Musk and JK Rowling. The last ten months have been a rollercoaster of emotions for Khelif, who admits he ordeal has taken its toll.These politicians who are oppressing me, they don’t have the right to say that I’m a transgender.”Imane KhelifShe told El Birard: “Immediately after, there was a big uproar from big politicians around the world, athletes around the world. “And even artists and stars, Elon Musk, Trump.. this thing….. that affected me. “I am not lying to you, it affected me. It affected me a lot, hurt me a lot.”I can’t describe to you the amount of fear I had. The scenario was very scary. “Thank god, all the people of Algeria and the Arab world knew Imane Khelif with her femininity, her courage, her will.”Honestly, I don’t like to get into politics in sports, but they got into politics in sports.Read More on The Sun”Sports and politics are two separate things. “These politicians who are oppressing me, they don’t have the right to say that I’m a transgender.” More

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      Three-weight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko retires after more than 400 FIGHTS in lengthy video

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      BOXING great Vasiliy Lomachenko has announced his retirement – bringing the end to an iconic career. Lomachenko has the greatest amateur record of all time, winning 396 times with just one loss – which he avenged. Vasiliy Lomachenko has announced his retirement from boxingCredit: Instagram / @lomachenkovasiliyLomachenko retires as a three-weight championCredit: GettyAs a professional, the masterful southpaw won titles at feather, super-feather and lightweight. And he dazzled fans with his incredible footwork, combination punching and speed. He beat George Kambosos last May in Australia but has not fought since – rejecting talks to later fight Gervonta Davis. It cast doubt over his future in the sport – and now Loma has confirmed his retirement in a lengthy Instagram video. READ MORE IN BOXINGHe thanked his family, including his dad and coach Anatoly, his manager Egis Klimas, long-time promoter Bob Arum and the fans. Loma turned pro in 2013 – a year after the London Games – and did so after winning double Olympic gold. He wanted to fight for world title on his DEBUT – but was unable to do so without a ranking. Loma beat Jose Luis Ramírez in four quick rounds before challenging Orlando Salido for the WBO featherweight title. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBut Salido – a part-time Uber driver – upset Loma and used veteran tactics to edge out a points decision. That did not deter Loma, though, as he bounced back with victory over Gary Russell Jr in his next fight to become champ after just three bouts. ‘Back to the grind in a few days’ – Anthony Joshua shows off results of elbow surgery as boxing star closes in on returnThe southpaw sensation then went on an unbeaten run over 13 fights and five years – winning titles at 126lb, 130lb and 135lb. Loma fought at lightweight despite being vastly oversized by his opponents – something that would inevitably catch up with him. Teofimo Lopez stunned him in 2020 to win the unified titles and three years later, Devin Haney would controversially beat Loma on points. Loma returned 12 months later to stop Kambosos in 11 rounds – winning back the IBF belt – but he later vacated the strap. And despite being linked with big-money bouts against the likes of Davis and Shakur Stevenson – it marked the end of the road for one of the sport’s greatest. Loma was a fighter inside and outside of the ring – signing up to defend his country after Russia’s invasion in February 2022. He enlisted with the Territorial Defence Forces – but eventually returned to boxing to resume his career. Read More on The SunLoma hangs up his gloves with 418 total fights – amateur and pro – 414 wins, just four losses and a host of gold medals and world title belts. Lomachenko beat George Kambosos in his last fightCredit: EPAHe suffered a controversial loss to Devin HaneyCredit: GettyLomachenko was beaten by Teofimo Lopez in 2020Credit: Handout – GettyLomachenko was a double Olympic championCredit: Getty Images – Getty More