Naseem Hamed Explained

Naseem Hamed
Nickname:
  • Prince Naseem
  • Naz
Weight:
Height:5 ft 3 in[1] [2]
Reach:63 in
Birth Date:12 February 1974[3]
Birth Place:Sheffield, England
Style:Southpaw
Total:37
Wins:36
Ko:31
Losses:1

Naseem Hamed (Arabic: نسيم حميد; born 12 February 1974), nicknamed Prince Naseem and Naz, is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2002.[4] [5] He held multiple featherweight world championships between 1995 and 2000, and reigned as lineal champion from 1998 to 2001. He also held the International Boxing Organization (IBO) featherweight title from 2002 to 2003, and the European bantamweight title from 1994 to 1995. In 2015, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The Ring magazine retroactively awarded Hamed their featherweight title in 2019 to acknowledge his dominance of the division and the multiple champions he defeated; he is the only former world champion in any division thus far to receive this honour.[6]

Hamed was known for his unconventional boxing antics and spectacular ring entrances which included entering the ring on a flying carpet, a lift, and a palanquin, as well as re-enacting the video of Michael Jackson's Thriller, and wearing a Halloween mask. He was also known for his front somersault over the top rope into the ring, his highly athletic and hard-hitting southpaw boxing style, and formidable one-punch knockout power, having finished his career with a knockout-to-win percentage of 84%.[7] [8] With his cocky persona and high-profile bouts he was a prominent figure in 1990s British pop culture, while Sean Ingle in The Guardian writes, "in his prime, Hamed was a global superstar". A headliner on both sides of the Atlantic, Dan Rafael of ESPN writes, "one of the biggest stars in the sport, the guy sold out arenas before his opponent was even named."

As of August 2023, BoxRec ranks Hamed as the 22nd greatest European pound-for-pound boxer of all time[9] and the 12th greatest British fighter of all time.[10] In 2016, ESPN ranked Hamed at number 22 on its list of the top 25 fighters, pound for pound, of the last 25 years. World Boxing, a sister publication of The Ring magazine, ranked Hamed the 11th greatest British boxer of all time, and Gareth A. Davies of The Telegraph ranked him 10th.[11] The Ring also ranked Hamed the 46th greatest puncher of all time.[12]

Early life

Hamed was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England to Yemeni parents, in 1974.[13] He grew up with eight siblings.[14] A protege of Brendan Ingle's Wincobank gym, his talent and flashy southpaw style marked him out from an early age.[13]

Professional career

Early years

Hamed started boxing professionally at flyweight in 1992. He soon began rising through the ranks as he knocked out a series of opponents in the opening rounds. At age 20, he won the European bantamweight title, comprehensively beating the beleaguered Vincenzo Belcastro over twelve rounds. After one defence he won the WBC International super bantamweight title in 1994, overwhelming Freddy Cruz in Sheffield, whom he severely punished and stopped in six rounds. Hamed's popularity grew, his unorthodox style winning a large fan base and his boxing antics generating a large group of detractors.[13] After signing for Frank Warren, Hamed, employing more spectacular entrances, knocked out better opposition in Enrique Angeles and Juan Polo Pérez, both within two rounds.

World featherweight champion

Hamed vs. Robinson

Later in 1995, after controversially being named the WBO #1 featherweight contender (despite never having boxed at that weight), Hamed moved up to face Wales' defending WBO champion Steve Robinson. After dominating the bout and scoring a knockdown in round 5, Hamed won the title when the referee stopped the fight in round 8 after Robinson was caught with a left hook that dropped him spectacularly. The fight was held in front of Robinson's home crowd at the rugby ground, Cardiff Arms Park, with rain pouring down on the fighters and the ring.[15] This was also the first bout where Hamed badly injured his hand, a problem that would continue for the rest of his career.

Hamed vs. Medina

Hamed's next defence was in Dublin against former two-time world featherweight title holder Manuel Medina. In an entertaining, tough contest for Hamed on the night, Medina won several rounds of the fight. After knocking Medina down heavily in round 2, Hamed struggled to finish the fight. Hamed eventually knocked Medina down another two times in the 9th round. Finally, at the end of round 11, Medina's corner withdrew him from the fight on the advice of the ringside doctor. Hamed revealed in his post-fight interview that he had fought with a heavy cold. Medina would go on to have many more tough title fights, remarkably winning versions of the featherweight world title another three times. Hamed's next opponent was the 27–0 Remigio Molina of Argentina, who was stopped in two rounds.

Hamed vs. Johnson

In February 1997, Hamed defeated long-time IBF champion Tom "Boom Boom" Johnson in eight rounds in a unification bout at the London Arena. After being constantly stunned and staggered from round 3 onwards, Johnson was finally dropped by a huge uppercut, then saved from further punishment by the referee. Hamed's first defence of both the WBO & IBF titles was a first-round KO of veteran British boxer and European champion Billy Hardy. Before the bout Hamed had correctly predicted he would win in round 1. The next defence was an easy two-round win against a hugely outclassed Juan Gerardo Cabrera. Due to boxing politics involving the IBF's mandatory challenger, Hamed was soon forced to relinquish the IBF title.

Hamed vs. Badillo

In Hamed's hometown of Sheffield in October 1997, he produced one of the best performances of his career in defending his WBO title against Jose Badillo, whose corner entered the ring to stop the fight during round 7. Hamed's status as one of the biggest draws in the sport was evident with a stellar undercard that included Joe Calzaghe vs. Chris Eubank for the world super middleweight title.[16]

Hamed vs. Kelley

See main article: Naseem Hamed vs. Kevin Kelley. In late 1997 Hamed made his heavily hyped U.S. debut. His ceremonious arrival on the British Airways Concorde was covered by multiple media outlets. There, he and former WBC title holder Kevin Kelley fought in a highly entertaining bout at New York's Madison Square Garden. Prior to the fight, Kelley told Hamed, "I'm gonna smoke your boots". This fight marks something of a watershed in Hamed's career, as he was forced, for the first time, to abandon his hands-down style of fighting throughout the entire course of the bout, given the calibre of Kelley. Nonetheless, despite suffering three knockdowns himself, Hamed put Kelley down for a third and final time to win by a fourth-round knockout. This was his first of many fights on HBO.

Other title defences

See main article: Naseem Hamed vs. Wilfredo Vázquez, Naseem Hamed vs. Wayne McCullough and Naseem Hamed vs. Paul Ingle. In 1998, Hamed enjoyed victories over former three-time WBA title holder and then-lineal champion Wilfredo Vazquez (TKO 7), former WBC bantamweight title holder Wayne McCullough (W 12), and future IBF title holder Paul Ingle (TKO 11; no relation to Hamed's then-former trainer Brendan Ingle).

Hamed vs. Soto

See main article: Naseem Hamed vs. César Soto. In October 1999 at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan, United States, Hamed defeated WBC featherweight champion Cesar Soto of Mexico over 12 rounds, adding the WBC title to his collection and unified the WBC & WBO titles. Hamed soon chose to relinquish his WBC title due to his commitment to being WBO champion.

Had Vazquez not been stripped by the WBA of his belt (the WBA did not want their featherweight title unified with the WBO), Hamed would have had the distinction of winning all four world titles in a division, something only Riddick Bowe had achieved by that point, at heavyweight.

Hamed vs. Bungu

See main article: Naseem Hamed vs. Vuyani Bungu. In March 2000 at Olympia, Kensington, London, Hamed knocked out former undefeated long-reigning IBF super bantamweight title holder, Vuyani Bungu of South Africa. The fight was ended with a single straight left hand, in one of Hamed's most impressive performances and biggest victories.

Hamed vs. Sanchez

See main article: Naseem Hamed vs. Augie Sanchez. Hamed fought in August 2000 against Augie Sanchez at Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States. Sanchez is known for being the last American to defeat Floyd Mayweather as an amateur boxer.[17]

Hamed successfully retained his WBO title for the fifteenth and final time against Sanchez via a devastating fourth-round knockout. Hamed broke his hand badly in the bout, and following surgery he spent half a year out of the gym, gaining 35 pounds in weight. Rather than face the unknown EBU Champion & WBO mandatory challenger István Kovács, Hamed relinquished his WBO title to pave the way for a Superfight with Marco Antonio Barrera.

Hamed vs. Barrera

See main article: Naseem Hamed vs. Marco Antonio Barrera. Eight weeks prior to the fight, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on 7 April 2001, Marco Antonio Barrera prepared to fight. Barrera had moved up a weight division. At the end of training camp he was in the best shape of his life. According to Sky Sports, Barrera had "trained like a monk" in Big Bear, California, while Hamed trained in Bing Crosby's old house.[18] Emanuel Steward had arrived to oversee the last two weeks of Hamed's training, including sparring, and was worried immediately.[13] He had seen Barrera look razor sharp only a few months before in a stoppage win in Las Vegas, and watched Hamed not take his sparring with young Mexicans seriously.[13] The fight was also for the International Boxing Organization World featherweight title.

Barrera handed Naseem Hamed his first and only loss for the lineal featherweight championship by a twelve-round decision. Before the fight, Hamed was a 3 to 1 betting favourite in Las Vegas.[19] Hamed could not hit Barrera with his trademark lefts as Barrera circled to his left and worked both head and body. Barrera was not a fan of Hamed's antics and responded to Hamed's punches during clinches. On one occasion early in the fight, Hamed grabbed Barrera and they both fell to the ground where Barrera threw a right jab, leading to a warning from referee Joe Cortez. In the 12th and final round Barrera trapped Hamed in a full-nelson and forced his head into the turnbuckle, resulting in a point deducted by referee Joe Cortez. Ultimately, Barrera threw more, harder punches and more impressive combinations than Hamed throughout the course of the fight. Barrera was awarded the victory via a unanimous decision, with the scorecards reading 115–112, 115–112, 116–111 and won the lineal and IBO featherweight titles.[20] The fight drew 310,000 pay-per-view buys on HBO. It was the highest-grossing featherweight bout ever in the United States.[21]

Final fight vs. Calvo

See main article: Naseem Hamed vs. Manuel Calvo. On 18 May 2002 at London Arena, Docklands, London, Hamed returned to the ring for what turned out to be his final boxing match, against the European champion Manuel Calvo (33 wins, 4 losses, 1 draw) for the IBO World featherweight title.[22] Hamed was booed by the 10,000 fans as he won unconvincingly on points after 12 rounds looking sluggish and uninterested. The judges scored the fight 120-110 and 119-109 (twice).[23] In a post-fight interview with Ian Darke, Hamed assured a quick return to the ring, which ultimately never happened. Hamed was just 28 years old when he stopped fighting.[24] For years, Hamed did not confirm whether he had retired or not; there were talks of several fights in the UK and in the US, including Hamed's brother and manager, Riath, speaking to HBO about a potential fight with Michael Brodie.

In an interview for BBC Radio Sportsweek, Hamed said that his retirement was largely due to chronic problems with his hands, including multiple fractures as well as surgery.[25]

Personal life

Hamed is a Muslim, and frequently recited the Takbir out loud before his fights.[26] Sean Ingle writes, "he was a proud Muslim who appealed to large chunks of working-class Britain. His last fight was watched by 11 million people on ITV."

In 1998, he married his girlfriend Eleasha Elphinstone, who had converted to Islam, in Sheffield.[27] [28]

By 1997, Hamed had an annual income of $14million[29] (£)[30] from fight purses and endorsements, ranking at number-22 on Forbes list of the world's highest-paid athletes for 1997.[29] By March 1999, his net worth was an estimated £38million.[31] By January 2001, Hamed had reportedly amassed a fortune of £50million[32] ($).[33] He earned over $million from fight purses, including $8.5million from his fight against Barrera.[34] Hamed was the second richest British boxer, after heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis in 2003.[35]

Hamed's two sons, Aadam and Sami, have been training to become professional boxers.[36]

In 2023, it was announced that his younger brother, Ali, had passed away.[37]

Driving offences

On 31 March 2006 Hamed pleaded guilty at Sheffield Crown Court of dangerous driving in relation to a collision at Ringinglow Road in Sheffield on 2 May 2005, in which his McLaren-Mercedes SLR crossed a solid white line overtaking a Ford Mondeo and crashed head on into a Volkswagen Golf before hitting the Mondeo.[38] The Golf driver, Anthony Burgin, had fractures to "every major bone" and bruising to the brain; after multiple hospitalisations he was deemed unable ever to work again.[39] Burgin's wife was also injured; Hamed was unhurt.[40] [41] On 12 May 2006 Hamed was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment and 4 years' disqualification from driving, after the court heard he had been trying to impress his passenger, businessman Asif Ayub.[40] The judge expressed astonishment that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency had refused "apparently on human rights grounds" to disclose Hamed's four previous speeding offences, including a one-year ban for driving a Porsche at 110 mph on the M1 in Derbyshire.[40]

Hamed left prison on 4 September 2006 after serving 16 weeks, and was placed under Home Detention Curfew for the remainder of his sentence, monitored by an electronic tag.[39] After a recommendation from the Honours Forfeiture Committee, he was stripped of his MBE on 12 December 2006.[42] At a jury trial in March 2008, Anthony Burgin was cleared of dangerous driving in relation to an incident on 19 April 2007 involving Hamed's wife Eleasha.[43]

Legacy and influence

Hamed's boxing career was seen by many experts in the sport as one of massive potential. Frank Warren, the boxing promoter, once said of Hamed: "I think at one stage he was the most exciting fighter that I'd ever been involved with. At one stage, in the early part of his career, he could have gone on to become one of the great fighters. But that disappeared when he didn't fight as regularly as he should have done, when he was cutting corners on his training. It just didn't work out for him from that point on."[44]

Moreover, commentators have pointed out that Hamed's ability should have propelled him to achievements that would have given him legendary status, but that his noted dislike of the long hard training camps and long periods away from his family hindered this.[45]

As popular lower weight fighters like Oscar De La Hoya and Kostya Tszyu moved into the mid-weight classes and the Mexican champion Julio César Chávez declined, Hamed and Arturo Gatti filled the void. Hamed's boxing antics made him the new poster-boy for lighter-weight boxers and his charisma attracted a large number of fans. In 2002 the UK public voted Hamed's victory over Kevin Kelley on the list of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments.[46]

British boxing pundit Steve Bunce stated on 15 March 2008 edition of BBC panel show Fighting Talk that Hamed was the greatest British boxer of all time. World Boxing, a sister publication of The Ring magazine, ranked Hamed the 11th greatest British boxer of all time, while Gareth A. Davies, boxing correspondent of The Telegraph ranked him 10th.[11] The Ring also ranked Hamed the 46th greatest puncher of all time.[12]

Hamed was part of the 2015 class for the International Boxing Hall of Fame.[47] In 2016, ESPN ranked Hamed at number 22 on its list of the top 25 pound-for-pound fighters of the last 25 years.[48]

Cultural impact

Hamed is considered one of the most successful and influential British fighters. UK sports commentator Steve Bunce called him the "most influential fighter of my 35 years in the British boxing business". According to boxing trainer Emanuel Steward, Hamed "opened the door" for British fighters as well as for boxers from lower weight divisions to earn significant prize money; his earnings were unprecedented for a featherweight. According to his boxing trainer nephew SugarHill Steward, Hamed's "flair and skill and confidence" inspired "a generation" and "gave fighters over here a massive opportunity, the confidence to crack the American market." HBO executive Lou DiBella compared his impact to that of Muhammad Ali, arguing that Hamed "changed boxing" and "redefined the fighter as a showman and an entertainer".[49]

He was a source of inspiration for a number of world champions in boxing and MMA, including Tyson Fury,[49] Oleksandr Usyk,[50] Conor McGregor,[51] Israel Adesanya,[52] Floyd Mayweather,[53] Manny Pacquiao,[54] Nonito Donaire,[55] David Benavidez,[56] Billy Joe Saunders, Amir Khan,[57] Carl Froch, and David Haye. He also inspired a number of boxing trainers who have gone on to train world champions, including SugarHill Steward and Ben Davison.[58] [59]

Hamed was referenced by hip-hop artist Nas in the song "You Won't See Me Tonight", with the lyrics "I can't forget how I met you, you thought I was a boxer/ Prince Naseem, but I'm a mobster, Nas from Queens". Hamed himself recorded a song with hip hop group Kaliphz called "Walk Like a Champion", which reached number 23 in the UK Singles Chart in 1996.[60]

Hamed had a licensed sports fighting game, Prince Naseem Boxing, published by Codemasters for the PlayStation console in 2000.[61] A portable version of the game was also released for the Game Boy Color, developed by Virtucraft, which later in 2002 developed a Mike Tyson based follow-up, Mike Tyson Boxing, for the Game Boy Advance.[62]

Hamed also inspired a character called Prince Naseem in Squaresoft's fighting game Ehrgeiz, released in 1998. While called "Prince Naseem" in the original Japanese version, the character's name was changed to "Prince Doza" in the Western versions.[63]

In the Japanese manga series Hajime no Ippo, the fictional American boxing champion Bryan Hawk is based on Naseem Hamed.[64]

In the Japanese manga series Batuque, the fictional character Shyun Amamiya is a fan of Naseem Hamed and takes inspiration from his fighting style.

In the Tamil movie Sarpatta Parambarai (2021), the boxing style of fictional character Dancing Rose, played by Shabeer Kallarakkal, is based on Naseem Hamed.

A film based on Hamed and his relationship with trainer Brendan Ingle was announced in 2023. It will be directed by Rowan Athale, with Sylvester Stallone as an executive producer. Mena Massoud and Paddy Considine will star in the film.[65]

Professional boxing record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
37Win36–1Manuel CalvoUD1218 May 2002
36Loss35–1Marco Antonio BarreraUD127 Apr 2001
35Win35–0Augie SanchezTKO4 (12), 19 Aug 2000
34Win34–0Vuyani BunguTKO4 (12), 11 Mar 2000
33Win33–0César SotoUD1222 Oct 1999
32Win32–0Paul IngleTKO11 (12), 10 Apr 1999
31Win31–0Wayne McCulloughUD1231 Oct 1998
30Win30–0Wilfredo VázquezTKO7 (12), 18 Apr 1998
29Win29–0Kevin KelleyKO4 (12), 19 Dec 1997
28Win28–0Jose BadilloTKO7 (12), 11 Oct 1997
27Win27–0Juan Gerardo CabreraTKO2 (12), 19 Jul 1997
26Win26–0Billy HardyTKO1 (12), 3 May 1997
25Win25–0Tom JohnsonTKO8 (12), 8 Feb 1997
24Win24–0Remigio MolinaTKO2 (12)9 Nov 1996
23Win23–0Manuel Medina11 (12), 31 Aug 1996
22Win22–0Daniel AliceaTKO2 (12), 8 Jun 1996
21Win21–0Said LawalKO1 (12), 16 Mar 1996
20Win20–0Steve RobinsonTKO8 (12), 30 Sep 1995
19Win19–0Juan Polo PerezKO2 (12), 1 Jul 1995
18Win18–0Enrique AngelesKO2 (12)6 May 1995
17Win17–0Sergio Rafael LiendoKO2 (12), 4 Mar 1995
16Win16–0Armando CastroKO4 (12), 21 Jan 1995
15Win15–0Laureano RamírezTKO3 (12), 19 Nov 1994
14Win14–0Freddy CruzTKO6 (12), 12 Oct 1994
13Win13–0Antonio PicardiTKO3 (12), 17 Aug 1994
12Win12–0Vincenzo Belcastro1211 May 1994
11Win11–0John MiceliKO1 (10), 9 Apr 1994
10Win10–0Peter BuckleyTKO4 (8), 29 Jan 1994
9Win9–0Chris ClarksonKO2 (8), 24 Sep 1993
8Win8–0Kevin JenkinsTKO3 (6), 26 May 1993
7Win7–0Alan LeyKO2 (6)24 Feb 1993
6Win6–0Peter Buckley612 Nov 1992
5Win5–0Des GarganoKO4 (6)7 Oct 1992
4Win4–0Miguel MatthewsTKO3 (6), 14 Jul 1992
3Win3–0Andrew Bloomer2 (6), 23 May 1992
2Win2–0Shaun NormanKO2 (6), 25 Apr 1992
1Win1–0Ricky Beard2 (6), 14 Feb 1992

Television viewership

Date Fight Network Country Viewers Source(s)
Naseem Hamed vs. Armando CastroITVUnited Kingdom6,400,000[66]
Naseem Hamed vs. Sergio Rafael LiendoITVUnited Kingdom13,000,000[67]
Naseem Hamed vs. Juan Gerardo CabreraSky SportsUnited Kingdom831,000[68]
Naseem Hamed vs. Kevin KelleyHBOUnited States[69]
Naseem Hamed vs. Wilfredo VázquezHBOUnited States[70] [71]
Naseem Hamed vs. Wayne McCulloughHBOUnited States[72]
Naseem Hamed vs. Manuel CalvoSky SportsUnited Kingdom11,000,000
Total known viewershipUnited Kingdom & United States41,604,000

Pay-per-view bouts

Naseem Hamed held the pay-per-view record in the United Kingdom up until he was surpassed by Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson in 2002.

Date Fight Billing Network Country Buys Revenue Revenue
Naseem Hamed vs. Remigio MolinaJudgement Night[73] Sky Box OfficeUnited Kingdom420,000[74] £25,000,000 ($)£
Naseem Hamed vs. Tom JohnsonNight of Champions[75] Sky Box OfficeUnited Kingdom720,000£[76] ($)£ ($)
Naseem Hamed vs. Billy HardyBrit Pack[77] Sky Box OfficeUnited Kingdom£ ($)£ ($)
Naseem Hamed vs. Augie SanchezHamed vs. Sanchez[78] Sky Box OfficeUnited Kingdom300,000[79] £ ($)[80] £ ($)
Naseem Hamed vs. Marco Antonio BarreraPlaying With Fire[81] HBOUnited States310,000[82] $[83] (£)[84] $ (£)
Total known sales2,098,000£57,541,600 ($82,279,107)£94,000,000 ($127,000,000)

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. HBO Sports tale of the tape prior to the Marco Antonio Barrera fight.
  2. Web site: Glam Rocked Prince Naseem Hamed's glitz was no match for the grit of Marco Antonio Barrera in their featherweight showdown . Sports Illustrated . 16 April 2001 . 9 May 2023.
  3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/4765035.stm Naseem Hamed profile
  4. Davies, Gareth A (8 June 2015). "Prince Naseem Hamed: 'I always thought they would put me in the Hall of Fame sooner or later'". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
    Reddy, Luke (31 May 2020). "Greatest Fights: Hamed v Barrera and the 'carrot' too big to turn down". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
    Christie, Matt (11 May 2020). "Naseem Hamed: 'I won't say arrogant. Let's say I was extremely confident'". Boxing News. Kelsey Media. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
    Parkinson, Nick (19 December 2017). "Naseem Hamed rates Kevin Kelley win 20 years ago as career standout". ESPN. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
    "Prince Naz lands 'Royal reunion'". BBC News. 31 December 1998. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
    Slot, Owen. "Naseem Hamed: Gifted, flawed, unfulfilled – in search of British boxing prince who disappeared". The Times. News UK. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
    ESPN staff (10 October 2013). "Classic Matchup: Marquez vs. Hamed". ESPN. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  5. . Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  6. Gray, Tom (17 June 2019). "Prince Naseem Hamed Awarded Ring Magazine Featherweight Belt, History in the Making". The Ring. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  7. Rold, Cliff (2 October 2014). "Measured Against All Time: Prince Naseem Hamed". BoxingScene. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  8. Davies, Gareth A (13 June 2015). "Prince Naseem Hamed: 'I want to see Brendan Ingle and say I'm sorry for the nasty things I said'" The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  9. Web site: BoxRec ratings: Europe, pound-for-pound, active and inactive. 10 May 2022. BoxRec.
  10. Web site: BoxRec ratings: United Kingdom, pound-for-pound, active and inactive. 10 May 2022. BoxRec.
  11. News: Davies . Gareth A. . The UK's top 10 greatest ever boxers . 9 November 2016. 28 May 2019 . The Telegraph.
  12. News: Rafael . Dan . Hamed deserves HOF election . 28 May 2019 . ESPN . 24 October 2014.
  13. http://www.eastsideboxing.com/weblog/news.php?p=18166&more=1 'The Brash Prince' – Prince Naseem Hamed
  14. Web site: Hussein . Tam . 2023-04-05 . How Prince Naseem Hamed Shaped British Identity . 2024-08-19 . New Lines Magazine . en.
  15. Web site: SFX Sports group profile on Naseem Hamed. Sfxsports.co.uk. 25 May 2018.
  16. News: Top 10: Joe Calzaghe's most important fights. https://archive.today/20130421083140/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxingandmma/joecalzaghe/3386601/Top-10-Joe-Calzaghes-most-important-fights.html . dead . 21 April 2013 . The Daily Telegraph . London .
  17. News: Meet the last American to beat Floyd Mayweather. Boxing News. 23 February 2015.
  18. Sporting Heroes – Naseem Hamed". Sky Sports 2013
  19. Dean Juipe (18 December 1997). Columnist Dean Juipe: HBO leads Naseem Hamed's bandwagon – Las Vegas Sun News. Lasvegassun.com. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  20. Kim Cawkwell Prince Naseem Hamed Marco Antonio Barrera fight. Saddoboxing.com. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  21. Book: Britannica: The Year in Review. 2002. Encyclopædia Britannica. 9780852298312. 326.
  22. News: Prince Naseem announces comeback. . 2 August 2016.
  23. Web site: Boos greet Hamed's comeback win. 19 May 2002 . 2 August 2016.
  24. News: Prince Naseem Hamed: 'I always thought they would put me in the Hall of Fame sooner or later' . 29 June 2019 . The Telegraph.
  25. News: Naseem Hamed Reveals The "Real Reason" He Retired . Boxingscene . 31 August 2009 .
  26. Combe, Victoria (3 August 2001). "Boxer Hamed reveals the secrets of his faith". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  27. Web site: Interview: Naseem Hamed - I expect my wife to live cleanly.. I made an honest woman out of her and she is grateful; Naz on marriage and a family dream. . Free Online Library . The Mirror . Johnston . Jenny . 11 March 2000 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230218063653/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Interview%3a+Naseem+Hamed+-+I+expect+my+wife+to+live+cleanly..+I+made...-a060284849 . 18 February 2023 .
  28. Web site: Naseem Hamed [2023 Update]: Wife, Son, Record, Career & Net Worth . 5 August 2022 . Pema . Sherpa . Players Bio . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231130165803/https://playersbio.com/naseem-hamed/ . 30 November 2023 .
  29. News: Smith. Timothy W. . subscription . Boxing; He's a Champion Of Self-Promotion. The New York Times. 17 December 1997 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230314181934/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/17/sports/boxing-he-s-a-champion-of-self-promotion.html . 14 March 2023 .
  30. Web site: Historical Exchange Rates Tool & Forex History Data (1.637635 USD per GBP). OFX. 1997. 4 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180619140101/https://www.ofx.com/en-gb/forex-news/historical-exchange-rates/. 19 June 2018. dead.
  31. News: Lords of television's ring . . 12 March 1999 .
  32. News: Mitchell. Kevin. Boxing: BBC chase Hamed TV deal. The Guardian. 14 January 2001.
  33. Web site: Historical Exchange Rates Tool & Forex History Data (1.514934 USD per GBP). OFX. 2000. 4 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180619140101/https://www.ofx.com/en-gb/forex-news/historical-exchange-rates/. 19 June 2018. dead.
  34. Web site: April 7, 2001: Hamed vs Barrera. The Reckoning Of "The Prince". The Fight City. 7 April 2018.
  35. News: Rawling. John. John Rawling: Has Naseem Hamed pulled on his gloves for the last time?. The Guardian. 21 May 2003.
  36. News: Are Prince Naseem Hamed's sons coming for his throne? . BBC Sport . 23 May 2023.
  37. Web site: 2023-11-03 . "RIP": Fans Come Together In Mourning Saddening Demise Of Prince Naseem Hamed's Brother . 2024-08-19 . EssentiallySports . en.
  38. News: Prince Naseem arrested over crash . BBC News . 19 December 2005 .
    News: Boxer could face jail after crash . BBC News . 31 March 2006 .
  39. News: Early release for ex-boxing champ . BBC News . 1 September 2006.
  40. News: Naseem Hamed jailed for car crash . BBC News . 12 May 2006 .
  41. News: Sad end to the tale of the preening Prince who crashed and burned . Kevin . Mitchell . 14 May 2006 . 29 June 2019 . The Guardian.
  42. Honours and Awards . The London Gazette . L-58179-1002 . 12 December 2006 . 58179 . 22 April 2021.
    News: Gillan . Audrey . 'Prince' Naseem stripped of MBE after time in jail for car crash . 22 April 2021 . The Guardian . 2 January 2007 .
  43. News: Jury clears victim of Hamed crash . 22 April 2021 . BBC News, South Yorkshire . 19 March 2008.
  44. News: The Prince's Place in History . Eastsideboxing . 4 January 2006 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110914213258/http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=6498&more=1 . 14 September 2011 . dmy-all .
  45. News: Prince Naseem Hamed "I was bloody good" . sky sports . 25 April 2008 .
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