Naseem Hamed Says He’d Have Beaten Frampton And Warrington On The Same Night

11/21/201811/20/2018 James Slater

The combination of age and well over ten years of retirement has failed to temper Naseem Hamed’s enormous ego. The hardest punching 126 pound fighter … continue

Movie On Naseem Hamed In The Works

09/29/201809/28/2018 James Slater

Currently a guest of honour in Saudi Arabia, for tonight’s WBSS super-middleweight final between George Groves and Callum Smith, former featherweight king, “Prince” Naseem Hamed … continue

The Eubank-Hamed story: A tale of rivalry and jealousy

02/19/2018 James Slater

Long since retired former British superstar Naseem Hamed made quite the memorable pundit as a guest commentator on ITV Box Office this past Saturday night. Working the George Groves-Chris Eubank Junior WBSS semifinal, Hamed, as overweight as we have grown accustomed to seeing him these days, really did put the boot in in brutally assessing points loser Eubank Jr.

continue

Naseem Hamed: If he hadn’t retired when he did?

02/12/2018 James Slater

Former featherweight king “Prince” Naseem Hamed celebrates his 44th birthday today. The super-powerful southpaw – long retired and long content to live a low-key existence, vastly overweight, in fact barely recognisable from his peak fighting days – by his own admission retired too soon.

continue

Twenty Years later: Looking back on the Naseem Hamed-Kevin Kelley featherweight war

12/19/2017 James Slater

It is the fight HBO’s Larry Merchant called “a featherweight version of Hagler-Hearns” and it rocked New York City twenty long years ago today.

Many fans, and plenty of experts, were left in awe due to the violence, speed, ferocity and number of knockdowns, knockout punches, and sheer, relentless two-way action that was somehow crammed into less than 12-minutes of boxing.

continue

When the “O” goes – fighters who were never the same after losing for the first time

10/22/201710/20/2017 James Slater

Some fighters, be they at the start of their career, at the middle or even coming towards the end, come back stronger after suffering their very first defeat, while other fighters are never, ever the same again after tasting the pain of losing.

Great fighters such as Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Bernard Hopkins and James Toney have over the years proven how there is so much more than holding an unbeaten record in boxing; each legend returning from a loss with a vengeance. However, some fighters, a number of them closing in on greatness at the time, were all but finished, at least compared to what they had been, after losing their “O,” their prefect record.

continue

On this day in 2000: Naseem Hamed gave us his final thrilling victory

08/22/201708/19/2017 James Slater

On this day 17 years ago, Britain’s Naseem Hamed, the hardest puncher in featherweight boxing history, scored his final thrilling, memorable ring victory. Facing former amateur standout Augie Sanchez in Mashantucket in a fight that went out on HBO, Hamed scored a brutal KO win in defence of his WBO crown.

The fight, after a relatively uneventful opening round (uneventful compared to the sheer street-fighting element that was to come) became a sensational slugfest, with a ton of leather thrown from both sides, trips to the canvas from both fighters that could so easily have been scored as legit knockdowns, blood and finally a savage KO. Indeed, the action that came thick and fast over four rounds was all but impossible to keep up with.

continue

Who’s the greatest British boxer of the last 30 years: Calzaghe? Benn? Hamed? Lewis?

06/25/201706/24/2017 James Slater

Right now, two hugely influential and respected publications are asking the question: who are the finest British boxers in history? British Boxing News first asked the question that is currently causing much debate, while in the US, Ring Magazine also asks the question (limiting the picks from the last 30 years).

continue

Twenty Years ago today: when “The Prince” was in his prime; Hamed unifies the featherweight titles

02/08/2017 James Slater

Exciting, abrasive, controversial and still talked about some 15 years after his final ring appearance. Who? Sheffield’s cocksure, blisteringly powerful featherweight king Naseem Hamed, a potentially great fighter who preferred to go by the nickname of “Prince.”

It was two full decades ago today (February 8, 1997) when Hamed scored what was arguably the most impressive and meaningful win of his 10 year, 37 fight pro career. Southpaw Hamed – who had burst onto first the British scene and then the world scene with thrilling wins and an extremely arrogant approach that included a pre-fight somersault over the top rope, a hands-held-low style and supreme self-belief – met the classy and experienced Tom Johnson in London.

continue

Riddick Bowe, Naseem Hamed & Ray Mancini Elected To Boxing Hall Of Fame

12/04/201412/04/2014 Boxing Hall of Fame

Yoko Gushiken, Rafael Mendoza, Steve Smoger, Nigel Collins and Jim Lampley also enter Hall of Fame

The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum announced today the newest class of inductees to enter the Hall. Living inductees include heavyweight champion Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe, featherweight champion “Prince” Naseem Hamed and lightweight champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini in the Modern category; light flyweight champion Yoko Gushiken in the Old-Timer category; booking agent / manager Rafael Mendoza and referee Steve Smoger in the Non-Participant category; and editor / journalist Nigel Collins and broadcaster Jim Lampley in the Observer category.

continue