So Naz is definitely never coming back...

[banjo]

I always thought he was going to make a comeback at some point but now it's clear to me that he never will. He's 35 years old and surely the reflexes have gone with all the time out. It would probably take him about a year to get in good fighting shape. I'd love to see him back, taking on the likes of Dunne (could you imagine what a prime naz would do to him).

I have finally come to terms with the fact that I will never see him in a boxing ring again. Do you think there is even a slim hope that he might be back in the next year? His window of opportunity is closing.

No, and I hope he doesn't. Naz was one of my favourite fighters when I was growing up and I'd hate to see him lose to somebody he would have smashed in his prime.

[world ranked]

I have finally come to terms with the fact that I will never see him in a boxing ring again. Do you think there is even a slim hope that he might be back in the next year? His window of opportunity is closing.

If you come to terms to him not fighting again, so why are you asking

[hitman_hatton1]

i had a feeling he'd stay away.

the only time i thought maybe he was for real was around late 2005.

when he was ringside for the khan/audley-williams bill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Hx9Rtv ... re=related

"he's back i'm back"

[metropol]

I dont think hell be back and i dont care. Not that i didnt like naz i didnt love him either but i feel like ive got that boy who cried wolf feeling. Even if he tried it would never work because he would never be able to get back to the level he was at before and that would tarnish his rep.

[Asterix]

He won't be back. No way.

[Cannibal]

Naz Vs Dunne? He'd have to fight a title eliminator with the super bantam weight limit first

[NazNaci1]

He said, rather mishieviously once that he hasnt 'officially retired' but it has been obvious, despite all the rumours etc..that he will never fight again.

I think he just liked the idea of ppl thinking that there was/is always a chance even though he knows he wont.

Great fighter in his prime tbh though - Just lost a little focus once he hit the top.

[oliverfennell]

He's actually announced comebacks two or three times. He was even lined up to fight Michael Brodie at one point. I guess he liked the attention the announcements brought him but self-doubt eventually got the better of him.

[DavidPayne]

Naz didn't care much for training toward the end, what chance now.

[Carbo]

Why are people so obsessed with this? It's all very strange. It was the same with Tyson.

It's over, guys. Move on.

You're like a bunch of teenage girls preying for the return of Gary Barlow and co.

You shared good times together. You had the poster of Naz with the flaming gloves on the wall. You had rollercoaster nights and early mornings that ended in surges of adrenaline-fueled elation, like after the Kelly and Sanchez fights. It was brilliant -- your first true love in boxing -- and thinking of those heady nights when Naz took the US by storm is redolent of your youth.

But it's over.

Face it.

And now you're older and wiser and more mature, your tastes should have developed. You should be able to see the crass superficiality of your love of Naz and Take That and snakebite-and-black, and move on to more complex, adult tastes, with better foundations, like Juan Manuel Marquez, Exile on Main Street, and Girolate 2003.

But still, somewhere there's that yearning to relive the fresh flush of your youth.

Let me tell you something about these silly ideas: your highschool secret crush no longer has a pert bottom and a girlishly pretty face; listening to your Take That album will feel embarrassing and will make you wonder why you had such little class, snakebite and black is revolting, and Naseem Hamed is old and slow and cannot recapture the precocious brilliance of his early twenties. He couldn't do it in his late twenties, so what chance does he have in his late thirties?

Get over it. Move on. Nothing to see here.

[DavidPayne]

Except Take That have had a strong of number 1 hits after a 10 year absence. Apart from that.....good analogy.

[Carbo]

Except Take That have had a strong of number 1 hits after a 10 year absence. Apart from that.....good analogy.

Stop p1ssing on my parade, Payne.

Have I been away for so long that Take That are back? I thought it was a bad dream. Payne, say it ain't so.

Anyway, you know what I mean, right?

[DavidPayne]

Take That are massive here again.

Sell out tours etc.

"You've got to shine...........2

[Carbo]

Take That are massive here again.

Sell out tours etc.

"You've got to shine...........2

You know that thing that Bart and Lisa do everytime they hear mention of Aunts Patty and Selma?

uhuhuuuuuhuuhhuhuhhuhhh....

[coneye]

hE'S TOO OLD WAY TOOOO FAT and a multi millionare Why would he bother. But and its a big BUT if he did just like theres lots off , fat over the hill people screaming, Gary Gary ,BRING BACK rOBBIE AT THE TAKE THAT CONCERTSm IIM SURE THEY WOULD BUY TICKETS TO SEE PORKY PIE NAZ HAS WELL

[Goz]

Maybe Naz could fight Kevin Kelly on the undercard of a Take That gig with a free Blacurrant snakebite with each ticket sold?

[DavidPayne]

I always thought he'd comeback against Brodie or Tapia. a good few years back now though.

[Goz]

I am surprised he never came back actually. I know he did well financially but still the lure of a few more $$$ gets most back in the gym and a Naz comeback would be such an easy sell.

One easy pushover for a spectacular KO and he could probably get £1m minimum for a fast tracked world title shot.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Naz didn't care much for training toward the end, what chance now.

Precisely, I think that he probably wanted to come back - probably even got some elasticated shorts on, and did a bit of a spar, and thought 'shit, this is hard, I wonder what's for lunch' and then realised it was easier to just talk about coming back without even training.

Perhaps he could fight Barrera in five six years time, like Nelson v Fenech did recently. I actually wouldn't be too surprised if that were to happen some day.

[BABY BLUE]

i just think no point. if he wants make a complete idiot of himself then why not. hes been a world champ so no point for a come back. its every year that ppl go on about naz coming back . really no point. you got young amir khan now. who wants naz.

[Goz]

Naz didn't care much for training toward the end, what chance now.

Precisely, I think that he probably wanted to come back - probably even got some elasticated shorts on, and did a bit of a spar, and thought 'shit, this is hard, I wonder what's for lunch' and then realised it was easier to just talk about coming back without even training.

Perhaps he could fight Barrera in five six years time, like Nelson v Fenech did recently. I actually wouldn't be too surprised if that were to happen some day.

I always thought Naz was in excellent physical condition against Barrera and had done his roadwork etc, he looked as ripped as I had seen him.

The problem was his tactics and still being a one trick pony so to speak, no real strategy, I think if he had not been in shape he would have been stopped.

[Captain Hook]

I always thought he was going to make a comeback at some point but now it's clear to me that he never will. He's 35 years old and surely the reflexes have gone with all the time out. It would probably take him about a year to get in good fighting shape. I'd love to see him back, taking on the likes of Dunne (could you imagine what a prime naz would do to him).

I have finally come to terms with the fact that I will never see him in a boxing ring again. Do you think there is even a slim hope that he might be back in the next year? His window of opportunity is closing.

No, and I hope he doesn't. Naz was one of my favourite fighters when I was growing up and I'd hate to see him lose to somebody he would have smashed in his prime.

I echo this completely

[Captain Hook]

Plus he's walking around at super middleweight now isn't he?!

[n1ebf]

you got young amir khan now. who wants naz.

another totally thick post !!

why Amir Khan?? Are you saying we've got Arab looking boxer, why do we need two?? Or are you basing your comparison on a SINGLE other factor aside from similar appearance.

If you were you could have said a young Kevin Mitchell, Don Broadhurst Paul Appleby, or whoever.

What a stupid post - Moderators have a look at this chap eh?

[n1ebf]

I always thought he was going to make a comeback at some point but now it's clear to me that he never will. He's 35 years old and surely the reflexes have gone with all the time out. It would probably take him about a year to get in good fighting shape. I'd love to see him back, taking on the likes of Dunne (could you imagine what a prime naz would do to him).

I have finally come to terms with the fact that I will never see him in a boxing ring again. Do you think there is even a slim hope that he might be back in the next year? His window of opportunity is closing.

Great post. Really insightful. Thanks.