Nicola Adams aims for multiple professional world titles like Muhammad Ali - BBC Sport
Double gold medallist Nicola Adams wants to follow the legendary Muhammad Ali's route from Olympic glory to professional world titles.
Last updated on .From the section Boxing

Double gold medallist Nicola Adams wants to emulate Muhammad Ali's route from Olympic glory to world titles as she prepares to make her professional debut in Manchester on Saturday.

Ali, who died in June, won gold at Rome 1960 before becoming a three-time heavyweight champion in the paid ranks.

"I had to think a lot about the triple but I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my hero," Adams told BBC Breakfast.

Adams, who has been training alongside the likes of American world champion Andre Ward and fellow British Olympian Amir Khan in the United States with Virgil Hunter, aims to target belts in multiple weight divisions before retirement.

"I'm going after the title holders. I can hopefully become a multi-weight world champion," she said.

"I've got a maximum of four years I reckon because I've got other interests as well.

"That feels like it would be a nice time to gracefully disappear from the sport."

Adams has suggested she might revive her acting career after boxing. She appeared as an extra in Coronation Street and Emmerdale before her Olympic success and had a cameo as herself on BBC's Waterloo Road in 2013.

Ali's own daughter Laila had a successful boxing career, retiring unbeaten in 2007 after winning 24 fights and multiple world titles.