Fighting Harada v Naseem Hamed

Naseem needs space and angles to get off his big shots, Harada wouldn't provide that. Harada by Decision.

 

I'll second that...I only recently been able to catch some of Harada's fights, and I am impressed...He has an unbelievable workrate. he may get rocked a time or two against Hamed, but his torrid pace of fighting gets him a decision win...He would wear Hamed out.
Harada is something special.

 

Totally agree, one of the best swarmers I've seen. Not only great stamina and workrate, but great speed to stay on you, and a good punch.

 

doesnt a swarmer usually lose to a devastating hitter?

 

You've said most of what I was going to say. Harada would have smothered Hamed very effectively with his windmill type offensive output and would hva dominated Hamed over 15 rounds. What should be mentioned is that Harada was not just your run of the mill swarmer, but was an underrated high volume pressure fighter who had a mix of ring intelligence and toughness. His crowning achievement was twice defeating the great Eder Jofre, who retired, then came back to win the Featherweight title and then defend by a knockout over Vincente Saldivar and then retire afterwards as champion. Jofre's accomplishments underscore Harada'a victories over him and points out what a great fighter Harada was. Harada was indeed too clever to let Hamed land anything of importance, and after all, after conquering Jofre, how much trouble would he have with Hamed?

 

It should also be noted that Harada should have been the first true 3 division world champion, were it not for Willie Pep screwing him out of his victory over Johnny Famechon in the late sixties.

 

When the swarmer has the better chin, a much higer work rate, and a better heart, he has a chance. I think Hamed is a bit over rated. Kevin Kelly nealry finsished him, and Barrera cleanly defeated him.

Naz was a very good fighter, but I think he was more sizzle than substance, and the best pressure type of fighters in their primes or near primes would beat him.

 

It's early in the morning and I'm not quite as lucid as I will be later, so let me make a correction, ...Harada should have been the first true 3 division champion SINCE HENRY ARMSTRONG.

 

is there much wrong with hamed's chin?

he wasn't stopped once during his entire career and the majority of the knockdowns he suffered can be attributed to being caught off balance rather than being geniunely hurt.

 

Naz was a wild on offense and defense. Because of this he was often off balance. I still beleive the best Hamed fought were Kelly and Barerra. One exposed him, the other defeated him.

I do think Naz was hurt once vs Kelly. Why did Naz retire in 2002 at age 28? he had a lot left.

 

lack of hunger and he started to believe his own hype, his reflexes were fading and he thought all he had to do was turn up and land that one killer punch. brendan ingle kept his feet on the ground and was responsible for the KO artist that was so highly rated in the 90's.

giving ingle, his mentor the boot was an absolute disaster as was the horrible steward/suarez training partnership he hired to replace him.

have you seen the little prince? a documentary about the build up to barrera-hamed. very revealing, whilst MAB is working his bollocks off in the gym naz spends most of his time putting in half arsed work in training, pissing steward off and sitting around playing the playstation with his brothers.

hamed didn't have the drive anymore, although imo he never beats MAB.