Nico Ali Walsh had put together the sort of year he could really build on.

In 2023, he picked up a less-than-impressive win against journeyman Eduardo Ayala. He then followed that up with a no-contest against Danny Rosenberger. To make things worse, he suffered the first defeat of his career against Sona Akale.

There was no point in feeling bad for himself though. So, the 24-year-old dusted himself off and got back to work. Everything was going smoothly in 2024. He took two steps forward following back-to-back wins but now, he’s taken roughly 40 steps back with his recent defeat.

Walsh’s handlers threw him in the ring this past weekend with seemingly a soft touch in Juan Carlos Guerra Jr. But while he was expected to win and look spectacular in the process, Walsh (10-2, 5 KOs) struggled, leading to a split decision defeat.

With his face in his hands, Walsh’s mind began to race in the locker room as he attempted to figure out what went wrong. Corrupt judges was one angle he could’ve gone with. He also could’ve looked squarely at his trainer and placed the blame on him. Instead, however, he took accountability for his shortcomings while also realizing that a previous injury should have kept him on the shelf a bit longer.

“I could’ve done more,” said Walsh during a one-on-one interview with The Ring. “I felt like I couldn't pull the trigger on my left hand. It was my first fight back from my shoulder injury. I feel like I did enough but it’s not an excuse. It’s my fault.”

Fans threw euphemistic tomatoes at Walsh as he exited the ring. While some from his boxing fraternity urged him to walk away from the game and find a new profession.

Their critiques are harsh and unrelenting. But their words aren’t strong enough to break Walsh’s spirit. The number one thing that matters to him currently, is working on his craft.

“I don’t care about that stuff," said Walsh of the critics. "I’m just looking to get better.”