Having the chance to represent his grandfather in the anniversary event of the iconic Thrilla In Manila, Nico Ali Walsh received the welcome of his life.
Nico Ali Walsh (12-2-1-1 NC, 5 KOs) had a mixed bag of experience during his bid in the Thrilla In Manila 2 event at the iconic Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, when he settled for a draw against Kittisak Klinson in a middleweight bout earlier this week.
Though the fight didn’t go his way, Walsh had more than enough to be happy about — especially when it came to the crowd’s reception.
[RELATED: Melvin Jerusalem retains WBC belt in Thrilla In Manila anniversary event]
During the fight, Walsh could hear the crowd chant his name, with the Filipino crowd growing affinity for the second-generation boxing star primarily because of his grandfather’s legacy in the Philippines with the original Thrilla In Manila five decades ago.
After the bout, Walsh raved about how he was welcomed by the community, something that he wasn’t exactly used to in the US where he is based.
“I fight in America and I get booed. I’m going to be real with you guys. Certain parts of America, my grandfather was hated at one point in time. In certain parts of America, it feels like people hate on me just because of my grandfather,” Walsh said.
“I get booed in a lot of parts of America, [so] it was pretty amazing to feel completely welcomed by you guys,” he added.
Leaving a bigger impact
Despite everything, Walsh is eager to return to the Philippines again — and hopefully compete better and on an even bigger stage that he did in the Thrilla in Manila anniversary.
With his career just starting out, the 25-year-old does want to continue making a name for himself.
“I hope that one day I can get a bigger fight here.” he said.
“I don't know what fight it was for my grandfather when he fought Frazier. I don't know how many fights he had at that time, but hopefully when I'm at that time, I can put on a better show here. Get an incredible knockout or an incredible performance and then get an Ali mall part two or something.”
At the end of the day, it was a surreal experience for Walsh to be able to rekindle his connection with his grandfather through the boxing event.
More than the bright lights, it was really the warm welcome and the continued support of the Filipino community that made it special for the American boxer. For him, it was an honor to represent the legacy of his grandfather.
“It was amazing. It was amazing and the people made it special. It's not just the walls and the place. It's not just here. It's not just the arena that makes it special.” he said.
“Not to sound corny or anything, but seriously, it's the people. If I was in an empty stadium, this wouldn't be as special. It was the people chanting Ali now the same way they were 50 years ago.”
Walsh was also joined by Joe Frazier’s son Joe Frazier Jr. who was able to catch the action from the crowd.
@onesportsphl “THE IMPACT THEY MADE WAS ON A BIGGER LEVEL THAN BOXING.” 🫡 Joe Frazier Jr. basks in the energy and legacy left behind by his father, Joe Frazier, and Muhammad Ali—two icons of boxing—as the 50th Anniversary of the Thrilla in Manila was celebrated at the Big Dome. | via Maureen Muarip/One Sports #ThrillaInManila2 ? original sound - OneSportsPHL
(With reports from Maureen Muarip/One Sports)
—
Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.