Prince Naseem

[Craig14]

Do you honestly believe Hamed was better than Barrerra?????

[exittored]

and Barrerra was better than him.

Ridiculous...

As much as i'm a fan of Barrerra he was KTFO and beaten twice by Junior Jones yet no one would say Jones is better then Barrerra nowadays even though in both fights Jones clearly showed he was in a different class.

Do you think that the schooling of Naz was just a right place right time for Barrerra, I guess it could be seen as a little lucky. By Ray Charles.

Yes he was lucky that he got Hamed just at the right time, don't get me wrong even a few years earlier when Hamed was still motivated and focused on training properly it would have been a very close fight.

[Terminator666]

He made so much money and lost motivation-- Can't think of anyone else in boxing (in the lighter weight classes) who made so much money in a relatively short time.

[Coco]

I really think that despite all his success, Hamed massively under achieved

[exittored]

I got caught up in the hype, paid to see him a couple of times in England and was giving odds of 3-1 against Barrerra - doh.
I wonder if Naz was still boxing he would have been in the biggest T1T in British boxing thread?

That's not very nice.

You do realise that without Naz this very site wouldn't have been created!

How's that then?

This exert from an article explains it better

Boxrec.com: Boxing’s Indispensable Website

By Thomas Hauser

The prime mover of the above-referenced adoration is a 44-year-old Englishman named John Sheppard, who was born in London and moved with his family to Doncaster when he was two years old.

Doncaster was once a coal mining town. Sheppard’s grandfather, uncles, father, mother, brother, and sister all worked in the coal industry. In the mid-1990s, John was a computer systems analyst for the National Coal Board. He was also friendly with Riath and Nabeel Hamed (Naseem’s older brothers).

“To be honest,” Sheppard acknowledges, “I didn’t know who Naseem was. But Riath and Nabeel talked me into going with them to see Naseem fight Enrique Angeles [on May 6, 1995]. It was the first time I’d been to a fight, and my reaction to it was that the entire spectacle was barbaric and degrading. I sat there watching people punch each other in the head, wondering why they were doing it. It went on and on interminably for hours. I was sprayed with blood, getting more and more miserable, telling myself, ‘I don’t want to be here.’ And then, during Naseem’s fight, something clicked in my head. The subtlety of what he was doing, the genius of it all, became obvious to me. It wasn’t a disgusting spectacle anymore. It was art, and I found myself cheering.”

In 1999, Hamed broke with promoter allegedly and launched his own promotional company. Sheppard went to work for him and soon became the lynch-pin of Prince Promotions and a related company that was formed to promote fights on Sky-TV with Barry Hearn.

“We had a matchmaker who I didn’t fully trust,” John remembers. “I started a little data base to track all the British boxers for myself as a way of keeping tabs on him. The Internet was taking off at the time. And I asked myself, ‘Why not put the data up on the Internet so everyone can use it?’

In May 2000, Sheppard rented space on a server. “It was a hobby more than anything else,” he explains. “I paid for it out of my own pocket. Then I got an email from someone in America saying that he was a record-collector and wanted to help, so I gave him the password. After that, there were more emails from more collectors. Pretty soon, the people who owned the server complained that I was getting more traffic than the other six hundred sites on the server combined and that my traffic was overwhelming the server and they gave me the hook. So I bought a server and installed it at a data center in Manchester; but a year later, that was overloaded.

Boxrec.com has grown organically and exponentially since then. It’s now the most heavily-trafficked boxing website in the world. On a typical day, it has 50,000 visitors who view 700,000 pages. Forty percent of its traffic comes from the United States and twelve percent from the United Kingdom.

Sheppard has worked on the site fulltime since 2005 (“eight hours on some days; twenty hours on others”). “But it’s hard to describe it as a job,” he says, “because I love what I’m doing.”

[nelsoninfour]

n az legend simple

[wesley05]

Thee most entertaining British boxer EVER period !!!! If not world wide !!!!

[Emmseegee]

Thee most entertaining British boxer EVER period !!!! If not world wide !!!!

x2

[Mimmy]

Best thing about Naz was his wife, what was she called?? cant recall her name but was not bad looking. Went to see Naz fight paul Ingle, thought Ingle had the fight until he was stopped. Just another Chris Eubank really.

[wesley05]

Best thing about Naz was his wife, what was she called?? cant recall her name but was not bad looking. Went to see Naz fight paul Ingle, thought Ingle had the fight until he was stopped. Just another Chris Eubank really.

U been on a two day bender

[banjo]

NAZ WAS A ONE OFF FOR THESE SHORES.

INCREDIBLE IMPACT ON THE SCENE AT THE TIME.

But like David Haye couldn't back it up on the big stage after all the talk. Let's face it looked a mug in the end, and now he looks like an umpa lumpa.

He's way more credible as a featherweight than Haye is at heavyweight though, he defeated the reigning WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF champions of the time and his only loss is to a man who went on to be a superstar.

[observer1]

But like David Haye couldn't back it up on the big stage after all the talk. Let's face it looked a mug in the end, and now he looks like an umpa lumpa.

looked a mug in the end? he got beat by barrera thats no shame and then had a 12 round decision win against some spainsh guy then retired. naz backed it up imo he beat every champion at the time in his division now to me thats backing it up
cause whatelse could he of done to back it up, please tell?

He didn't just get beat by Barrerra He got hammered, after all the talk of being the greatest ever, and then your right he beat some spanish guy and then disappeared - Legend. Maybe he should have came back, showed some heart, left a legacy. Maybe he should become a racing car driver.

have you even watched the fight? it was actually a close fight. It's also well documented that Naz was a loss waiting to happen, with so much neglect into training and preparation, its a wonder he didnt lose sooner. Had he actually had half the desire like so many other boxers, many feel Naz would have taken Barrera easily. And this is coming from a Barrera fan.

No wonder british boxing is such a joke, with guys like you

Its precisely because of Boxing fans like you that guys like Naz couldn't be arsed with it in the end.

He played the villain act, got seats filled, and made loads of money. But boxing suffers from a large number of meat-heads in its fan base. They were unable to differentiate between Naseem, and "Prince Naseem the villain".

He just invested his money into property and probably makes more annually that most of the people here do in their lifetime.

[maninthemiddle]

Naz lost to Barrera by 3 rounds on 2 of the scorecards. Time dulls the memory dosen't it....
Just wish he had come back and beat a couple of good fighters before he called it a day but if the desire has gone im afraid you have to make the right decision. Ricky has recently trod a similar path.
So many fighters would probably wished not to have had their last fight on their record.

[mkirkhope]

have you even watched the fight? it was actually a close fight. It's also well documented that Naz was a loss waiting to happen, with so much neglect into training and preparation, its a wonder he didnt lose sooner. Had he actually had half the desire like so many other boxers, many feel Naz would have taken Barrera easily. And this is coming from a Barrera fan.

No wonder british boxing is such a joke, with guys like you

Its precisely because of Boxing fans like you that guys like Naz couldn't be arsed with it in the end.

He played the villain act, got seats filled, and made loads of money. But boxing suffers from a large number of meat-heads in its fan base. They were unable to differentiate between Naseem, and "Prince Naseem the villain".

He just invested his money into property and probably makes more annually that most of the people here do in their lifetime.

I don't agree with a lot of this - whilst some comments on here are too down on Hamed this is too far the other way. I don't think he would ever have beaten Barrera "easily" even if he had a perfect camp.

And I never agree when people say "if only so-and-so had more desire, motivation and dedication then they would have been amazing". A) You can never tell for sure they would be amazing if they haven't shown it and B) those qualities are part of being a top sportsman. If you aren't dedicated then you wont be remembered as one of the best. There are examples in every sport of people with outrageous talent that don't have the other mental attributes to make it at the top.

I think overall Hamed is made out to be better than he was. There were loads of other top guys he could have tested himself against outwith Barrera but he didn't. He stuck to the extremely well-matched and promoted career that many British fighters seem to cruise through until they eventually have to face someone elite.

I'd actually fancy a prime Scott Harrison to give a prime Hamed a real run for his money (if not beat him).

[Craig14]

For someone who calls themselves the observer your really not that observent, maybe like your hero training, your just a lazy reader. Earlier in the thread I said I'd paid to see Hamed fight a couple of times, got caught up, and believed in the hype. But let's face it he was over-rated, and will always go down as someone who entertained but under achieved (I'm sure he'd be the first to say that.) He was world champion and that can't be dismissed lightly but as soon as he fought a great fighter he got beat, easily. Prince Naseem Hamed was a good fighter, a good world champion and a great entertainer.
And I must say brilliant comment 'No wonder british boxing is such a joke, with guys like you - first of all British boxing is not a joke. And secondly do you really think I'm that important to make a difference to British Boxing?
Are you American by the way?

[kells]

just watched the naz vs barrera fight on youtube,he didnt get hammered so dont know wich fight you watched?? just got beat as didnt hav a plan b wen the ko didnt cum.if he.d of got rid of his arse kissers and trained properly he def cud of won against marco

[TheGoods]

NAZ WAS A ONE OFF FOR THESE SHORES.

INCREDIBLE IMPACT ON THE SCENE AT THE TIME.

But like David Haye couldn't back it up on the big stage after all the talk. Let's face it looked a mug in the end, and now he looks like an umpa lumpa.

Ridiculous comment! He only failed to "back it up" once, against Barrera. Absolutely imperious before that. The hardest 'pound-for-pound' puncher in the sport at the time. A genius. His great tragedy was he lost his way and thought that power alone would get it done. Surrounded himself with too many 'Yes' men and paid the price.

[observer1]

have you even watched the fight? it was actually a close fight. It's also well documented that Naz was a loss waiting to happen, with so much neglect into training and preparation, its a wonder he didnt lose sooner. Had he actually had half the desire like so many other boxers, many feel Naz would have taken Barrera easily. And this is coming from a Barrera fan.

No wonder british boxing is such a joke, with guys like you

Its precisely because of Boxing fans like you that guys like Naz couldn't be arsed with it in the end.

He played the villain act, got seats filled, and made loads of money. But boxing suffers from a large number of meat-heads in its fan base. They were unable to differentiate between Naseem, and "Prince Naseem the villain".

He just invested his money into property and probably makes more annually that most of the people here do in their lifetime.

I don't agree with a lot of this - whilst some comments on here are too down on Hamed this is too far the other way. I don't think he would ever have beaten Barrera "easily" even if he had a perfect camp.

And I never agree when people say "if only so-and-so had more desire, motivation and dedication then they would have been amazing". A) You can never tell for sure they would be amazing if they haven't shown it and B) those qualities are part of being a top sportsman. If you aren't dedicated then you wont be remembered as one of the best. There are examples in every sport of people with outrageous talent that don't have the other mental attributes to make it at the top.

I think overall Hamed is made out to be better than he was. There were loads of other top guys he could have tested himself against outwith Barrera but he didn't. He stuck to the extremely well-matched and promoted career that many British fighters seem to cruise through until they eventually have to face someone elite.

I'd actually fancy a prime Scott Harrison to give a prime Hamed a real run for his money (if not beat him).

Obviously every boxer has the case of "in a perfect world in perfect conditions, i would have achieved this, and done that" etc.

But there are some boxers out there, for whatever reason, be it arrogance, stupidity, nativity, or simple because they couldn't care less, were clear under achievers.

The likes of Tyson is a clear indication of this, i also feel Naz is also. There are countless others who underachieved due to personal matters, or simply didnt have the heart for the sport.

But anyone who has watched boxing for a long time, studying different boxers, their styles, weight classes etc. Will know a fraud when they see one, and someone who underachieves.

As for Scott Harrison giving Naz a run for his money? Maybe. Naz had a style that pretty much gave all his opponents a good chance, didnt mean they won though. Often meant they never even reached the half way point.

@Yid, not im not American. But face it, when it comes to sport, Britain is in a league of its own.

You only need to look at some of the posters on this place, who will Criticize a boxer over a certain issue, yet completely dismiss the same issue if its another boxer.

Likewise, someone like Amir khan has a fraud, despite being champion at such a young age, targeting the states for the big fights and working his way up the p4p rankings. Yet the likes of Ricky Hatton are a legend despite his infamous 10 year WBU Champion run. Face it, when it comes to sport, Britain is in a league of its own when it comes to double standards and hypocrisy.
This is not only in Boxing, but in others sport too, especially Football. I need not tell you the number of players who have retired from International Football due to sh!t they take from the Media and Fans.

[Matt W]

I loved Naz but his response to his loss really brought him down in my estimation. A true competitor wants to prove themselves after a setback, both to themselves and to others. Kevin Mitchell last night was a great example of that. Naz lacked that and despite all of his talent and achievements he falls short of greatness because of it.

[crusader]

Without the deduction (which occured in Barrera's best round) Hamed lost 8-4, 8-4, 9-3 on the cards. It wasn't a thrashing, but a very clear win, and I definitely don't agree with anyone who says the fight itself was close.

And lol at the comment suggesting that it's "ridiculous" to say that Barrera was better than Hamed. Is that based on Hamed's career best win over Kevin Kelly in which Naz went down 3 times in 4 rounds? Ya, let's only focus on Barrera's losses and ignore his clear win over Hamed and his wins over the legendary Morales and loads of other top fighters. Manny Pacquiao was knocked out and dropped multiple times by fighters who were undeniably worse than Junior Jones, so I guess Hamed was better than Pac as well.

[banjo]

Without the deduction (which occured in Barrera's best round) Hamed lost 8-4, 8-4, 9-3 on the cards. It wasn't a thrashing, but a very clear win, and I definitely don't agree with anyone who says the fight itself was close.

And lol at the comment suggesting that it's "ridiculous" to say that Barrera was better than Hamed. Is that based on Hamed's career best win over Kevin Kelly in which Naz went down 3 times in 4 rounds? Ya, let's only focus on Barrera's losses and ignore his clear win over Hamed and his wins over the legendary Morales and loads of other top fighters. Manny Pacquiao was knocked out and dropped multiple times by fighters who were undeniably worse than Junior Jones, so I guess Hamed was better than Pac as well.

I wouldn't go that far but it amazes me at how underrated Naz is, IMO the only British boxer with a comparable record in the last 20 years is Lennox Lewis.

[Craig14]

I think Joe Calzaghe had a good record.

[crusader]

Hamed was definitely good, but someone has to be off their rocker to think that he was better than Barrera simply because Barrera lost to Junior Jones..

[banjo]

Indeed Joe did but people seem to forget Naz's record...

Manuel Medina - multiple titlist
Tom Johnson - reigning long time IBF champion
Billy Hardy - reigning european champion
Kevin Kelley - former WBC champion
Wilfredo Vazquez - Multiple titllist and reigning WBA champion(though the belt was stripped from WV before the bout)
Wayne McCullough - former WBC bantamweight champion
Paul Ingle - reigning european champion and went on to beat Manuel Medina and Junior Jones in IBF title fights
Cesar Soto - reigning WBC champion
Vuyani Bungu - long time and reigning IBF super bantam champion

That's not to be dismissed just because he lost to Barrera.

[yiddo14]

Under rated fighter is Naz. People who think Barrera battered him need to watch the fight again. Barrera won by 4 rounds.

Naz peaked early due to a few reasons. I think by the time he went to the states decline could possibly have set in.

One thing that Naz had, above all his physical and athletic attributes was a seriously good chin. Never looked hurt in his career, sure he went down but all when off balance and always come back firing.