Boxing

"Ali Bomaye!" The Famous Chant Echoes Again In Africa As Nico Ali Walsh Claims Victory

Nico Ali Walsh earns his own African victory in shadow of George Foreman and Muhammad Ali
Joseph Hammond|
Nico Ali Walsh in the ring dedicating his African victory to George Foreman on May 10, 2025
Nico Ali Walsh in the ring dedicating his African victory to George Foreman on May 10, 2025 | Joseph Hammond

Ali Bomaye! The famous chant was heard one more time in Africa as Nico Ali Walsh did what his father did before him, winning in Africa.

Nico Ali Walsh withstood the storm against the undefeated Ebenezer Sowah before turning the tide at the Sipopo Conference Center in Equatorial Guinea. Walsh earned a majority victory on the scorecards.

“I expected he would be tough.. and coming to win,” Ali said. “He was going for the knockout and I felt so I had to make adjustments”

Sowah is a power puncher who left the batteries at home. Against Nico Ali Walsh, his power began to fade early in the fight and soon enough, Walsh was able to see Sowah’s wild over hand rights which allowed the Chicago-born Walsh to turn the tide.

In the fourth round, the American fighter was hit with a headbutt which caused his nose to bleed. However, Nico Ali Walsh rallied and dominated the fight down the stretch.

Ali raised his glove in one of the rounds in response to occasional chants of “Ali Bomaye” from the crowd. The famous Lingala language cheer was used to support his grandfather, Muhammad Ali, when he knocked out George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle. Made famous by the “When We Were King’s Documentary,” it has been referenced in films and has titled a rap song.

Foreman passed away on March 25th.

“I want to dedicate this fight to the great George Foreman and the Foreman family. And God Bless everyone," said Nico Ali Walsh, who thus paid tribute to the fight his grandfather had against Foreman in Kinshasa in 1974, proverbially just across the water from Malabo.

Ali’s comments were translated and met with applause from the crowd, which included the President of the country who was in attendance and gave his congratulations in person to Nico Ali Walsh after the fight.

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Joseph Hammond
JOSEPH HAMMOND

Joseph Hammond is a veteran sports journalist with extensive experience covering world championship fights across three continents. He has interviewed legendary champions such as Julio César Chávez, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Gennady Golovkin, Oscar De La Hoya, and Bernard Hopkins, among many others. He reported ringside for KO On SI in 2024 for the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk bout in Riyadh - the first undisputed heavyweight championship in 24 years.

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