His blood courses through her veins and she is successfully following his footsteps in the boxing ring but Laila Ali knows only one person will ever be 'The Greatest' - and it's not her.

That suits the daughter of legendary former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali just fine because she has her own goals and a distinct path to travel.

So, carrying the name synonymous with the best - and most brutal - of boxing is a pleasure rather than a pain for the forthright 24-year-old seeking to become the undisputed women's Super Middleweight champion of the world.

"People comparing me to my dad doesn't bother me. I don't compare myself to my dad and I don't think people really expect me to be like my father.

"My father is 'The Greatest' and people who have been in the ring much longer than me and have accomplished a lot more than me aren't even compared to my dad. He is 'The Greatest' and that's that."

A mixture of pride and practicality comes across in those words. The iconic status Muhammad Ali enjoys is unparalleled and Laila is smart enough to allow the connection to work for her rather than try to emulate his achievements.

"The name Ali is very powerful so I'm going to get a lot more exposure but I have to back it up. You can't just have the name. We've seen that with all the other famous daughters - George Foreman's daughter, Roberto Duran's daughter, Ingomar Johanssen's daughter, Archie Moore's daughter, Jacqui Frazier - they haven't lived up to the hype. It takes more than just a name."

Thus far, this offspring has shown she has more than a famous father and a covergirl appearance. Since turning professional in October, 1999, the American has rattled up a 12-0 winning record - and she packs a punch. Nine victories have been knockouts. Last month, she took the first step in her quest to conquer the Super Middleweight class (up to 168 pounds), wresting the International Boxing Association's (IBA) belt from Suzy Taylor.

She is determined to have two more belts - the Women's International Boxing Association (WIBA) and the International Women's Boxing Federation (IWBF) - around her well-toned waist after she fights current holder Valerie Mahfood in her hometown Las Vegas, Nevada, in November. If that goes her way, next up will be Ann Wolfe - the last woman standing between Laila and Super Middleweight dominance and the holder of the International Female Boxers' Association (IFBA) belt.

Negotiations are underway to have the two fight here in Bermuda where Laila is now taking part in the second Lori McNeil/Elbow Beach Celebrity Tennis Classic. The last Saturday in March is the tentative date.

For someone with no amateur background and who trained for a year before jumping straight into professional boxing, it's an impressive agenda. What's stunning is that all this was a whirlwind about-turn when the five-foot, ten-inch beauty was 18 and far from interested in right hooks and jabs.

"I saw women's boxing on television for the first time. I didn't know women boxed. My father boxed but I wasn't walking around saying 'I wish I could do it'. It never occurred to me. I had other goals. I was in college. I had my own business and I wanted to be an entrepreneur.

"Then, when I saw boxing, I wanted to do it. Once I knew it was available I definitely wanted to participate."

Not surprisingly, prospective opponents have been lining up to get a crack at Laila.

"I've been targeted ever since I announced I was going to fight. That's okay because pressure works on me in a good way. It reminds me how hard I have to work, how much better I have to be than everybody else because everybody that fights me, fights me harder and trains harder because they see a bigger opportunity if they beat Laila Ali.

"Each time out I am prepared and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love it," she declares, grinning at the challenge.

And dad, what does he think of his second-youngest child putting on the gloves?

"He would rather me not box because it's hard and dangerous but he has accepted it and he supports me."

In fact, he was present at last month's title fight and, in an unforgettable emotional scene, presented her with the belt.

"It was a tear-jerking experience. Everyone was crying," recalls Laila's husband/manager, Johnny (Yahya) McClain, himself a former Cruiserweight champion.

His wife smiles reminiscing about the occasion.

"What brought tears to my eyes was thinking about how he was feeling, putting the belt on me. It was something he did and never would he have imagined one of his daughters in boxing. It was a touching experience for both of us."

As fabulous as winning and titles are, Laila has no illusions about how frighteningly accurate the term "blood sport" can be to describe boxing. Many have pointed to her father's slow gait and speech as regrettable repercussions from the era when he floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee.

"I see the situation a lot more clearly than many people do. My dad has Parkinson's Disease which did not come from boxing. He also has effects from boxing like most fighters who were in the ring long do. The bottom line is boxers continue to fight. We're going to do what we want and we just have to deal with the consequences.

"It might happen but it's not like I look at my dad and say 'Look what boxing did to him'. That isn't going to stop me."

Acknowledging that she and her father are "the same way" in terms of determination and their outspokenness, Laila says she was age 12 or 13 when she truly began appreciating who "dad" was in the eyes of the world. That realisation increased her respect for him.

"I started paying attention to documentaries. I was old enough to look at society and understand how black people were treated differently and to see how my dad made a difference in so many people's lives.

"I guess I am not as awed as other people because I would have done a lot of the same things he did. When you can't imagine doing certain things, it's more of a 'Wow!' but I can relate to his decisions and I respect him because many people are afraid to stand on their own.

"He set a good example for me and I have a lot of pride in having that same blood in me."

In her own way, Laila hopes to also be a role model, portraying positive values for young women.

"A lot of people tell me 'You shouldn't box, you should be a model or an actress'. Those are not the top jobs for me. I know a lot of models and actresses and I know how hard it is and how messed up some of their lives are. "

It wouldn't have been right taking that route - just using my looks and not do what makes me happy," she reasons, adding that it's important for attractive women to consider work avenues other than "running around half-naked".

"Young women need to see someone who is mentally and physically strong - someone who says what she thinks and is doing her own thing."

Sounds like an Ali. Must be an Ali - just younger and female.