Latest news with #RumbleintheJungle
Scottish Sun
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I'm Muhammad Ali's grandson but kept it a secret when I walked into the gym… I took beatings like everyone else
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BIAGGIO ALI WALSH is related to the most famous fighter of all time but he hid it - because he wanted to take beatings just like everyone else. The 26-year-old is the grandson to boxing icon Muhammad Ali and now finds himself making his own way in MMA. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Biaggio Ali Walsh with his grandad Muhammad Ali Credit: Instagram @biaggioaliwalsh 4 Biaggio Ali Walsh is 2-0 as a pro MMA fighter Credit: Getty Biaggio once had aspirations of going to the NFL but swapped American football for MMA - where he is now 2-0. The lightweight trains at Extreme Couture - the Las Vegas gym headed up by Eric Nicksick - trainer to Francis Ngannou. When Biaggio first walked into the gym he kept his identity a secret - and it took ex-UFC champion Sean Strickland FOUR YEARS to catch on. Biaggio told SunSport: "I never walked into Extreme Couture and I would tell people, 'Oh, I'm Muhammad Ali's grandson.' READ MORE IN boxing RUMBLING ON Ali still teased Foreman about Rumble in the Jungle 40yrs on despite being pals "That's actually the last thing I want is for people to know as soon as they get to a gym. "So yeah, I think just word of mouth, people started to find out who I was. Apparently Sean Strickland didn't know till like a couple of weeks ago. "He came up to me and he's like, 'Bro, you're Muhammad Ali's grandson?' I was like, 'Yes Sean, you didn't know this? I thought like Eric or someone would have told you or something. "He's like, 'No. I didn't know, that's so cool. Like, how was he? Was he cool?' I was like, 'Yeah, he was cool, he was funny. Does the boxing make sense now?'" CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Biaggio - who shares his Islamic faith with his grandad - had seven amateur fights - winning six - before turning professional in 2024. But that came after years of learning the ropes in the gym and taking his licks in the gym - just like everyone else. EXCL Muhammad Ali would still tease George Foreman about Rumble in Jungle win 40 years on as legends became best friends Biaggio said: "In a combat sport, who you're related to means nothing, Where you come from means nothing. "You could come from a silver spoon in your mouth, your dad could be a billionaire, but when you get in that cage and it's locked, even for sparring, that's not gonna help you. "It's you that's gonna be fighting for you. When I first got to Extreme, you know, a lot of ass whoopings, a lot of ass whoopings. You pay your dues, dude. That's how it is in the sport." Biaggio - signed to the Professional Fighters League - returns to the cage on June 27 in Chicago against 2-0 Ronnie Gibbs after nearly one year out. And he said: "I think in this sport, a break like that is good because you can sharpen so many tools and get your mind right and it gives you plenty of time to just get better in everything, physically and mentally. "And that's where I feel like I am. I feel like I've gotten so much better as a fighter and I've gotten so much better in my mental too, so super excited for this fight. I'd like to get a couple more fights at the end of this year." 4 Bob Walsh, with sons Nico and Biaggio and wife Rasheda, Muhammad Ali's daughter Credit: rashedaali1/instagram
Scottish Sun
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Muhammad Ali would still tease George Foreman about Rumble in the Jungle 40 years on after they became best friends
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MUHAMMAD ALI would still tease George Foreman about their Rumble in the Jungle 40 years on - after the pair became inseparable. Ali famously defeated Foreman in Zaire - now the Democratic Republic of the Congo - in 1974 with over ONE BILLION viewers watching worldwide. 5 Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in their 1974 Rumble in The Jungle Credit: BBC 5 The two became close friends in later years Credit: Getty And he did so using his famous rope-a-dope tactic - allowing Foreman to punch himself out before winning in round eight. The build-up was bitter and the rivalry carried on post-fight to lead to what was an expected rematch. But after Foreman claimed to have died in his dressing room after losing to Jimmy Young in 1976 - he found God and retired. It also paved the way for Foreman to form a brotherhood with Ali - up until the boxing great's death in 2016. READ MORE IN boxing MIKE DROP I'm related to the greatest boxer ever but changed my name to make my own way Ali's grandson, MMA star Biaggio, told SunSport: "My grandpa and George, they were very, very close. They spoke all the time. "The only memory I have with George myself was from my grandfather's 70th birthday party. "We met George there, I was 12 years old and even at 12 years old, I knew who George Foreman was. "I had seen the fight with him and Poppy and I was like, 'Oh, George Foreman, nice to meet you.' CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "He was such a nice guy, like super humble, down to earth and of just a very successful businessman at that point too. "So, really, that's like the only memory I have from George, but I do know that him and my grandfather, they were really close." Muhammad Ali's grandson Nico tried to hide his famous surname before Mike Tyson blew his cover Ali retired in 1981 after 61 fights and three heavyweight title reigns - but he was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years later. Although that did not stop the quick-witted sports great from throwing verbal jabs to his rival-turned-friend Foreman. Biaggio, 26, revealed: "Poppy was a jokester, man. Like he would always joke about certain things. "It's crazy when I would visit him in Arizona and he'd be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I'd be thinking, 'This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.' "Certain things like that I would reminisce in my head and then at the same time I'm like, 'But you're just my grandpa.' It was a very strange feeling my whole life really. "But yeah, they definitely had some banter, you know, Poppy was a jokester, he's always joking." Foreman made a comeback in 1987 after ten years out and became the oldest heavyweight champion of all time aged 46. I would visit him in Arizona and he'd be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I'd be thinking, 'This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.' Biaggio Ali Walsh But the multimillionaire businessman - who made over £150million through his cooking grills - died in March at 76. Ali meanwhile passed nearly ten years prior but Biaggio - an unbeaten MMA fighter and brother Nico a professional boxer - continue on the legacy. Middleweight Nico has 12 wins, two losses and one no-contest in his 15 boxing bouts while Biaggio - a former American football prospect - is 2-0 in the cage. Biaggio - signed to the Professional Fighters League - returns on June 27 in Chicago - but wants to compete all over the world - like his grandfather before him. He said: "I wanna just fight. So, anywhere it is, that'd be great. "And I think it's cool too, you get to travel and get to see a lot of new places and stuff. I'd never been to Saudi Arabia before until I fought there. "That's what's so cool about this job, you get to travel and see new places and destinations, places you never been to. "All are possibilities, especially with the PFL, man, I love the PFL." 5 Nico Ali Walsh is a professional boxer Credit: EPA 5 Brother Biaggio Ali Walsh is a pro MMA fighter Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Muhammad Ali would still tease George Foreman about Rumble in the Jungle 40 years on after they became best friends
MUHAMMAD ALI would still tease George Foreman about their Rumble in the Jungle 40 years on - after the pair became inseparable. ONE BILLION viewers watching worldwide. 5 Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in their 1974 Rumble in The Jungle Credit: BBC 5 The two became close friends in later years Credit: Getty And he did so using his famous rope-a-dope tactic - allowing Foreman to punch himself out before winning in round eight. The build-up was bitter and the rivalry carried on post-fight to lead to what was an expected rematch. But after Foreman claimed to have died in his dressing room after losing to Jimmy Young in 1976 - It also paved the way for Foreman to form a brotherhood with Ali - up until the boxing great's death in 2016. READ MORE IN boxing Ali's grandson, MMA star Biaggio, told SunSport: "My grandpa and George, they were very, very close. They spoke all the time. "The only memory I have with George myself was from my grandfather's 70th birthday party. "We met George there, I was 12 years old and even at 12 years old, I knew who George Foreman was. "I had seen the fight with him and Poppy and I was like, 'Oh, George Foreman, nice to meet you.' Most read in Boxing CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "He was such a nice guy, like super humble, down to earth and of just a very successful businessman at that point too. "So, really, that's like the only memory I have from George, but I do know that him and my grandfather, they were really close." Muhammad Ali's grandson Nico tried to hide his famous surname before Mike Tyson blew his cover Ali retired in 1981 after 61 fights and three heavyweight title reigns - but he was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years later. Although that did not stop the quick-witted sports great from throwing verbal jabs to his rival-turned-friend Foreman. Biaggio, 26, revealed: "Poppy was a jokester, man. Like he would always joke about certain things. "It's crazy when I would visit him in Arizona and he'd be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I'd be thinking, 'This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.' "Certain things like that I would reminisce in my head and then at the same time I'm like, 'But you're just my grandpa.' It was a very strange feeling my whole life really. "But yeah, they definitely had some banter, you know, Poppy was a jokester, he's always joking." Foreman made a comeback in 1987 after ten years out and became the oldest heavyweight champion of all time aged 46. I would visit him in Arizona and he'd be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I'd be thinking, 'This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.' Biaggio Ali Walsh But the multimillionaire businessman - who made over £150million through his cooking grills - died in March at 76. Ali meanwhile passed nearly ten years prior but Biaggio - an unbeaten MMA fighter and Middleweight Nico has 12 wins, two losses and one no-contest in his 15 boxing bouts while Biaggio - Biaggio - signed to the Professional Fighters League - returns on June 27 in Chicago - but wants to compete all over the world - like his grandfather before him. He said: "I wanna just fight. So, anywhere it is, that'd be great. "And I think it's cool too, you get to travel and get to see a lot of new places and stuff. I'd never been to Saudi Arabia before until I fought there. "That's what's so cool about this job, you get to travel and see new places and destinations, places you never been to. "All are possibilities, especially with the PFL, man, I love the PFL." 5 Nico Ali Walsh is a professional boxer Credit: EPA 5 Brother Biaggio Ali Walsh is a pro MMA fighter Credit: Getty 5 Biaggio, left, and brother Nico with their grandfather Muhammad Ali Credit: @biaggioaliwalsh
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Muhammad Ali would still tease George Foreman about Rumble in the Jungle 40 years on after they became best friends
MUHAMMAD ALI would still tease George Foreman about their Rumble in the Jungle 40 years on - after the pair became inseparable. Ali famously defeated Foreman in Zaire - now the Democratic Republic of the Congo - in 1974 with over ONE BILLION viewers watching worldwide. 5 And he did so using his famous rope-a-dope tactic - allowing Foreman to punch himself out before winning in round eight. The build-up was bitter and the rivalry carried on post-fight to lead to what was an expected rematch. But after Foreman claimed to have died in his dressing room after losing to Jimmy Young in 1976 - he found God and retired. It also paved the way for Foreman to form a brotherhood with Ali - up until the boxing great's death in 2016. Ali's grandson, MMA star Biaggio, told SunSport: "My grandpa and George, they were very, very close. They spoke all the time. "The only memory I have with George myself was from my grandfather's 70th birthday party. "We met George there, I was 12 years old and even at 12 years old, I knew who George Foreman was. "I had seen the fight with him and Poppy and I was like, 'Oh, George Foreman, nice to meet you.' "He was such a nice guy, like super humble, down to earth and of just a very successful businessman at that point too. "So, really, that's like the only memory I have from George, but I do know that him and my grandfather, they were really close." Ali retired in 1981 after 61 fights and three heavyweight title reigns - but he was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years later. Although that did not stop the quick-witted sports great from throwing verbal jabs to his rival-turned-friend Foreman. Biaggio, 26, revealed: "Poppy was a jokester, man. Like he would always joke about certain things. "It's crazy when I would visit him in Arizona and he'd be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I'd be thinking, 'This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.' "Certain things like that I would reminisce in my head and then at the same time I'm like, 'But you're just my grandpa.' It was a very strange feeling my whole life really. "But yeah, they definitely had some banter, you know, Poppy was a jokester, he's always joking." Foreman made a comeback in 1987 after ten years out and became the oldest heavyweight champion of all time aged 46. I would visit him in Arizona and he'd be sitting on his like reclining chair, I would shake his hand and in my head, I'd be thinking, 'This hand knocked out George Foreman in Africa.' Biaggio Ali Walsh But the multimillionaire businessman - who made over £150million through his cooking grills - died in March at 76. Ali meanwhile passed nearly ten years prior but Biaggio - an unbeaten MMA fighter and brother Nico a professional boxer - continue on the legacy. Middleweight Nico has 12 wins, two losses and one no-contest in his 15 boxing bouts while Biaggio - a former American football prospect - is 2-0 in the cage. Biaggio - signed to the Professional Fighters League - returns on June 27 in Chicago - but wants to compete all over the world - like his grandfather before him. He said: "I wanna just fight. So, anywhere it is, that'd be great. "And I think it's cool too, you get to travel and get to see a lot of new places and stuff. I'd never been to Saudi Arabia before until I fought there. "That's what's so cool about this job, you get to travel and see new places and destinations, places you never been to. "All are possibilities, especially with the PFL, man, I love the PFL." 5 5
Irish Independent
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
The Indo Daily: From kidnapped heiress to on-the-run terrorist – the Patty Hearst story
Richard Nixon resigns in disgrace following the Watergate scandal. Muhammad Ali and George Foreman serve up a pugilistic masterclass in the 'Rumble in the Jungle'. Aspiring horror writer Stephen King publishes Carrie, his first novel. ABBA storm the Eurovision Song Contest with 'Waterloo'. And in Hungary, an architect by the name of Erno Rubik invents a multi-coloured cube that would capture the world's attention. Just a handful of stories that left a still-enduring impression. But not all such events are so easily explained away in the end. Take the case of Patricia Campbell Hearst; born into immense privilege and seemingly destined for a life of elite exclusivity. However, fate had other plans for Hearst, as did a violent militant organisation that wanted to shake America to its very foundations, with the bright and wealthy college student the perfect target. Perhaps too perfect, as it turned out... On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined from New York by Jeffrey Toobin, author of 'American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst', to review a true story that proved to be stranger than fiction.
