These days Naz is a bona fide HW. And get him in a bad mood (like he was after the Eubank fight - presumably because there was no burgers left in the stadium cafe) JMM has no chance.
Hamed was 27 when he fought Barrera. If he was after his peak, it can't have been by much. The reality is he was cruelly exposed for his novice-like technique against Barrera. He had a puncher's chance against Barrera, as he would have had against Marquez, but in terms of technique and heart he just wasn't on their level. Hamed was a hype job, and too his credit made a lot of cash out of it - but he was always going to be exposed as soon as he faced a genuine world class fighter. Marquez would have beaten him as thoroughly as Barrera. Morales and Pacquiao, too.
the excuses are numerous, more to soothe their own ego than to explain hameds inability to beat a real top level fighter.