Sporting Heroes - Naseem Hamed

Not sure if anyone interested but it's on Sky Sports 1 at 10.30pm this evening. Should be a decent watch and be interesting to see what he says. Just thought I'd give a heads up anyway.

Definitely have a ganders a that. Think there was an excerpt on ssn the other day and he was huge.
cheers.

Too many people still look at Hamed and see an irritating twerp when they're tryiing to assess him as a fighter. He was that, beyond any doubt, but for anyone who was too young to have seen him fighting live, either at his shows or on TV, by God he was exciting. There was a buzz over what that kid could do such as I've never seen for any other British boxer. sure, we'd all get excited about Benn and Eubank because of the quality of their fights; we all respected Lennox and there were plenty of other UK fighters around in the 90s who could really fight (McKenzie, McAuley, Hodkinson, Graham).

The Naz Man had it all. Really. He was making really good fighters, European champs and all, look stupid at 20. He punched like no other UK fighter of his weight or below has in 70 years. He seemed absolutely unhittable. Up until the Kelley fight, which I identify as the point when Naz decided that he was too box-office to train properly or to bother with anything more than KO punches in the ring, he was almost literally untouchable. Yes, he could have been greater than he was, but I still think of him as representing a golden promise of achievements beyond any UK boxer. The fact that he's probably only a fringe all-time UK top-tenner now is all his own fault, but I can't help a touch of nostalgia when I remember just how good he really was.

Great memories a short period in the late 90s and early noughties, Hamed was aback page regular and top draw entertainment. I remember the buzz in the states after the up and down war with Kelley it was electrifying and an immediate superstar in the U.S. Unbelievable one shot power and agility, as the Capt alluded Hameds lifestyle caught up with him his partying and more detriment was he fell in love with his power, every shot was murderous intent and the Barrera defeat had darkened the mood over him unfairly.

A genuine top class talent who missed out on some guaranteed classics Morales, Marquez and I even remember interest in him and Mayweather which was seen as a 50/50 at the time.

Cheers Rodders

He changed the ppv off the lower weight classes for everyone, he was actually dodged by the 3 Mexicans until berrera actually took the fight, pure myth that he was schooled tho he lost a competitive fight! Hughly entertaining and was one of the first fighters I ever watched on ppv! He's still knowledgable about boxing and isn't particularly biased so he should be honest with the questions tonight

I even liked his post fight interviews. Broner being a very rehearsed poor imitation. His launch on the American market was epic. The adidas advert. He was over the top, he was show biz, but he had the talent to back it up. He was must see tv either talking or fighting. British boxing misses such a character. He had charisma, something that couldn't be said about Carl froch, Amir khan, Kell brook...

There was so many of my friends who weren't boxing fans, yet EVERY one of them knew who Hamed was. If you asked any of them these days about David Haye, Carl Froch or dare I say it Nathan Cleverly they would not have a clue.

The marketing strategy for this guy was the easiest job in the world. Putting it simply, he WAS the entertainment. So exciting to watch - it was usually not a case of how the fight was going to end, but when. And it was more often that not by either brutal KO/TKO or utter bewilderment. Can't remember exactly who it was in the early days (might have been Freddy Cruz) but one opponent told his trainer that he was trying to but couldn't hit him. Even when he was ill he still outclassed World-level fighters (he fought Medina with a heavy cold FFS!).

We shall not see a talent like his for some time. Shame he threw it away really...

Hope rowley has his sky plus set... Or there'll be tears.

I'd love to have seen an ingle era naz in with Barrera, morales etc... to see how his style truly matched up against real top quality opposition. He left himself open to being 'found out'... When it was a pale imitation being found out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45GSik7EpzA

hahaha love this one

I share that view Captain.

Before it all went a bit Pete Tong, he tore through the domestic and Euro fighters (plus a few above) like nobody else I've ever seen in this country. His fights weren't even close. He had a natural ability that was leagues above nearly everybody he fought.

When I look back, I find it such a shame that he began relying on power instead of boxing and tactics.

The performance against Badillo in particular was superb.

I hated Naz the night he completed humiliated Vincenzo Belcastro, the night he won the European title. His behaviour that evening was appalling, the way he taunted and jeered the little Italian. I was disgusted by it, I have had a thorough dislike of Hamed since that bout.

To say I nearly punched a hole in the ceiling the night Barrera turned the tables on Hamed giving him a piece of this own medicine is an understatement. Every time Naz mocked and trash talked he got a face full of leather. I was really enjoying it but the coup de grace, Naz's head being smashed off a ring post, really felt great. It was like all that bad karma Hamed had been building up was coming back to haunt the little fecker. I smiled and thought of Belcastro, I hoped he was smiling too.


The fight was a comfortable win for Barrera with Hamed doing little more than pot shooting. Barrera repeatedly beat Hamed to the punch and when Naz would lean his head in inviting Barrera to punch his cat like reactions to avoid the blow where non existent. To me it was a combination of Naz being in decline and Barrera just being too good. Barrera, that night, justified his moniker the "baby faced assassin".

Barrera won the fight by 4 or 5 rounds without the point deduction and was a clear winner. I never really understood the view that the fight was competitive. In saying that the manner in which Barrera dealt with Hamed's bad behaviour really made the defeat humiliating.

ShahenshahG wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45GSik7EpzA

hahaha love this one

Before I clicked on the link I thought it was the haircut video Shah, hilarious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClZkyV-boQM

I'm watching the Hamed interview online and up pops an ad
"how to fight fat".

They are talking about Belcastro now. Reg Gutteridge's disgust being quoted.

Naz first says he doesn't use excuses and then proceeds to trot out a list of excuses as long as your arm as to why he lost to Barrera.

The arrogant persona hasn't left him. Came across as big a deluded plonker as ever.

Show on Kessler on Sky Sports 1 now.

Bahaha i hope you like yourself at least

Self love is the greatest love of all.

Programme was poor I thought. It was one long Hamed post-fight ramble (God-given talent, supreme confidence etc). Disappointing.

hazharrison wrote:Programme was poor I thought. It was one long Hamed post-fight ramble (God-given talent, supreme confidence etc). Disappointing.

Gary Newbon looked like he was intimidated by Naz. Every time he asked a half probing question Hamed shut him down. What I took from the interview is that the fat little git still lives in a fantasy universe of his own making where he rules over everything.

Yep -- nice guy but hopeless. It got to 2 minutes from the end and they still hadn't discussed the Barrera fight -- then kinda brushed over it.