Today I got a hold of the career set of Naseem Hamed, 35 of his 37 fights. I'm about to start watching them now. Years ago I saw his fights with Barrera and Kelley as well as seeing a few highlights of him. But I want to sit down and digest his whole career, from start to finish. I've heard people criticise his resume many a time but I read the fantastic Against All Time piece on him on *******. That makes him sound like he fought his fair share of contenders. What do we think? What are our thoughts of Naz on this forum? How does he hold up against history and what do we remember him for?
He really should have ended up as an all time great with his ability, an absolute natural, the guy just didn't want it enough though and realistically wouldn't even be in the top 5 all time p4p British fighters. Cut corners in training and the desire wasn't there, at least not for long enough, and retiring at 28 tells the tale really. Hard for him to have fought greats that didn't exist, so it's hard to criticise his resume. But I'll always remember him as the most entertaining fighter (alongside Mike Tyson) since Muhammad Ali, a showman, with immense talent, who failed to live up to his potential, because of his own decisions.
Basically, Hamed was a great British fighter. He had phenomenal physical gifts but was an incomplete package, as he showed in his last several fights, not least against Barrera. He was very big here in the UK but he was a bit of a hype job, and was comprehensively dismantled by Barrera (who actually was an All-time great) who employed a textbook boxing style to beat him. Blatantly ducked a few other fights who would likely have also exposed him, Marquez among them.
Strip away all the posing and posturing and the bad habits the only unique thing about him was the power.
I agree there was a lot of posing, posturing and bad habits. But I think his amazing reflexes which allowed him to get away with these are unique.
You are right. More than one special thing about him. He was better than his resume. But that's on him.
Went power mad stopped training properly got his brothers running things never reached his true potential .people judge him against Barrera but by then had just started going through the motions .At his best he was like Camacho with one punch power but never had the motivation to keep at it .Pity
Have to echo what others have said. Had the potential to be one of the greats, but lacked the discipline and focus. I actually think if he had picked up a loss early on in his career it would have benefitted him in the long run. By the time of the Barrera fight, he actually seemed to think he couldn't be beaten, and when he did finally lose, it shattered his confidence. He still accomplished a lot for a guy who will probably be remembered as an underachiever.
I've watched his first 12 fights. Damn he was exciting! He is still fighting guys way below his level but he is such a raw and unusual talent. He hits so hard and gives such awkward angles.
In many ways he was a victim of the mid 90s celebrity culture in the UK. He was a household name before he even beat Steve Robinson for the WBO title, and would regularly be referred to in the (mainstream) media as unbeatable and the best P4P fighter in the world when he hadn't even beat the best in his division. There's a suspicion that he would always have ended up that way, but the disproportionate acclaim he got certainly added fuel to his hubris and accelerated his decline as a fighter. All things said, he still achieved a lot - effectively unified the featherweight division and beat a string of titlists. His long knockout streak at world level marks him out as one of the great punchers of the lower weights. However, the Barrera fight (rightly or wrongly) will always be used to demonstrate that he was a level below Barrera, Morales, Marquez and Pacquiao. When you watch the Belcastro fight his potential was incredible, and he really could have been anything with a more disciplined approach and work ethic.
got to admit his shoot out with kevin kelley was an exciting fight! both men traded knock downs until kelley finally couldn't get up. hamed was fun to watch, but as others here have said, could have been so much more. still, he got under my skin and was annoying. was so glad when berrera owned him. favorite moment in that fight was when he slammed hamed's head into the corner. yes it was a foul yes, he was pointed as he should have been. but at that time the fight, he was so far ahead on points, it was done as if to say, " i OWN your ass!"
Avoided watching him at all costs when he was around. The ring entrances could take a day and a half. The showboating came off as reprehensible. These are things that don't effect as much in my dotage so that (and a fast forward button) have let me review him lately. One thing I will say for him. He is arguably a top 10 P4P in terms of power. He had ungodly clout. Other than that, his talent let him fight in a completely unorthodox and unsustainable fashion, somewhat like a Jones, Jr or even Ali, tho he didn't rise to the level of them.
