Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act Divides Ali Family: Grandson Slams New Changes, Widow Backs Them

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Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act Divides Ali Family: Grandson Slams New Changes, Widow Backs Them

Michael Aldon·Athlon Sports

Fri, Aug 15, 2025·

3 min read

Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act Divides Ali Family: Grandson Slams New Changes, Widow Backs Them originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The boxing world is divided over the proposed Muhammad Ali Boxing Revival Act, a controversial update to the 2000 Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act.

In a nutshell, the new bill seeks to reduce the influence of fragmented sanctioning bodies, establish a national minimum pay, and increase the price threshold of injury coverage. Critics, however, believe that the new act will introduce monopolistic conditions where promoters have more leverage than fighters.

One such critic is Nico Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali himself and a professional boxer seeking to build his own legacy in the sport.

Nico, an undefeated middleweight prospect, defended the original act's fighter protections and took to social media to vehemently oppose the changes.

"As an Ali, I'm completely against altering the Muhammad Ali Act," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "My grandfather fought for it to protect fighters from getting screwed over. Remove it, and promoters take control while fighters get paid less. Keep the act and protect the fighters who put their lives on the line."

Nico Ali WalshMichael Owens-Getty Images)

His stance pits him against supporters of the bill, including his step-grandmother, Lonnie Ali, who believes the reforms honor Muhammad's legacy.

Lonnie, Muhammad Ali's widow and Co-Founder of the nonprofit Muhammad Ali Center, endorsed the Revival Act, framing it as a modernization of boxing's infrastructure to benefit future generations.

"If Muhammad was with us today, he would want to ensure the sport of boxing in America remained strong and viable for generations to come, providing opportunities for other athletes to pursue their goals and dreams, just like he did," she insisted in a press release.

Backed by TKO Group (UFC/WWE's parent company) and bipartisan lawmakers, the bill proposes the implementation of Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs) to create parallel rankings and titles, alongside stricter medical safeguards like mandatory brain imaging and $25,000 injury coverage.

While Nico criticized this new act, he has shown support for a different proposed bill by the name of the Muhammad Ali Expansion Act, an amendment introduced in 2017 to the original Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000 that seeks to include MMA and other combat sports with the core goal of protecting fighter safety, transparency, and fair compensation for fighters.

The 25-year-old boxer showed support in a thread response below his initial post by signing a petition urging fighters, coaches, fans, and advocates to support the Ali Expansion Act.

The new boxing revival act coincides with TKO Group's combat-sports expansion, including the UFC's $7.7 billion Paramount+ deal and its venture into boxing with Saudi-led backing.

It also coincides with the end of Top Rank's run with ESPN, and with boxing's migration from broadcast television to streaming. Notably, Nico is also signed with Top Rank, and the potential law would directly affect his livelihood.

With the bill pending House approval, the Ali family's opposing views represent the broader divide when it comes to debating the bill. Neither party has acknowledged the other and their stance on the bill, but both are convinced that they know how Muhammad Ali himself would feel about these changes if he were alive.

Whether the bill becomes law or collapses under scrutiny, its fate will shape boxing's next era and determine if the sport honors Ali's fight for fairness or rewrites the rules in promoters' favor.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.