Hamed vs Fenech

Oh my goodness, now this is a good fight.

Fenech's chin at Bantam and Super-Bantam was generally good, but a shade vulnerable in the early rounds which you could maybe attribute to him being weakened by weight cutting (less so at Super-Bantam). And then it seemed to deteriorate completely, and very suddenly, later in his career from the point of the Nelson rematch. In that case, it was consistent with his whole game falling to pieces in a flash, probably as an accumulative result of the tough scraps he'd been in, his physically demanding style taking a toll, chronic hand injuries and a sense of injustice or deflation after being robbed of what should have been his defining victory in the first Nelson fight.

Between all that, though, he had the ability to suck up whatever anyone threw at him, and just keep on coming at them. Walked through the punches of some pretty hard hitters, particularly Callejas and Villasana, albeit Callejas' knockouts came at 122, rather than 126.

Difficult for me to see Hamed outpointing Fenech, because Naz's style didn't really lend itself too well to stifling or shutting down an opponent's punch output. It's not like Fenech was just some busy workhorse, either. He matched that ridiculous engine with brilliant mastery of fighting inside and, after the first few rounds where he could be a little erratic, very effective and underrated head / upper body movement as he came in. Not all that easy to hit once he'd found his rhythm, especially if Hamed starts loading up with one shot as he did in his latter career.

I guess it depends on whether Hamed can take Fenech out early, when he's at his most vulnerable. No doubting that Naz punched as hard as all but a precious few Featherweights. If the fight went past a few rounds I think Fenech would be in command. I think Hamed lasts the distance, but after what happened against Barrera I can never quite shake the feeling that he didn't like it up him, and might have become disheartened against someone who didn't respect or could survive his power, as well as bullying him and pressing him close. It's not as if Fenech was feather-fisted himself.

Hamed probably catches Fenech early a couple of times in a long series, but best for best I'd take Fenech by UD more often than not. Great matchup.

 

Hamed has a punchers chance.

 

Yeah, Fenech would probably just mug the shite out of Naz up close for the duration, off the back of repeated overhand rights on the way in. Hamed's best chance would just be to keep cutting loose with power shots from the thighs up, with plenty of the trademark oddball ones mixed in with more conventional ones, and hope that one catches Fenech off guard. He has an outside shot that way but I still wouldn't hold out too much hope. Like Chris said, I don't think he liked being up against it or was willing to just let his hands go with abandon if prior tactics weren't working, and he didn't have the style to stymie or negate skilled pressure/high work rate.

I think Fenech was an angry man too with a chip on his shoulder, he'd probably be wound up to snapping point by Naz's nobbish, smarmy attitude, fake swagger, ridiculously over-sized shorts and cheesy ring entrance and ready to dole out a proper pasting. He'd need to have a care though. His chin was iron prior to the second Nelson fight but Naz had that type of power where he didn't need to even catch guys cleanly to get them going. He hit like a middleweight.

Fenech wide UD or possibly even a late exhaustion stoppage or corner intervention between rounds/quitting on the stool. Or an outside shot of bat ears leaving Jeff seeing cuckoos doing the hokey cokey.

 

Naz via corkscrew uppercut

 

Fenech will smother him with punches and put him In a hole late Naz for all his swagger had no grit in him it wasn’t heart but cowardice clinging to his fake persona that kept him standing when it got tough.

 

100%. He loved being the bully. When things didn't go his way, he showed his true mettle. And I'm not just talking about the MAB fight. Look at how he started dirty wrestling Soto when Cesar stood up to his power.

 

Not sure Fenech was constitutionally carved out to be the guy who stands up when the going gets tough either. His lack of grittiness showed when he faced opposition that would fight back (starting with a non-malarial Nelson).

I fancy Naz being behind on points but never in trouble and giving himself some distance to work by mid-fight and pounding the Aussie downunder ... the ring.

 

Fenech wins pretty handily. Hamed would just be clinching and running after he realizes he can’t bomb him out early.

 

I've got a horrible feeling that Fenech's style is right up Hamed's street. Fenech's going to come forward throwing shots but he's not as quick as Hamed and Hamed has way better, more varied footwork. And then there's Hamed's power. Fenech could punch but not in the same league.
Barrera did a total number on Hamed by setting him up. Textbook against a back foot Fighter feint, feint until he's got his weight right over his back foot then let him have it when he's got nowhere to move. Fenech doesn't have that subtlety. It greives me to say this but Hamed takes Fenech out with one of his crazy booming shots around the 8th.

 

I think this fight after round 4 becomes a dispiriting slow shellacking of hamed with the prince quitting on his stool after 10 rounds

 

Fenech stood tall in numerous wars. He was matched tough very early and came through time and time again. Some of the guys he beat went on to have good success like Zaragoza. Callejas was a very tough fighter with big power and he and Fenech threw everything but the kitchen sink at each other before Fenech prevailed and he was the one moving up in weight. Villasana and Martinez were tough as nails but Fenech hammered away with gay abandon. Fenech actually came off the canvas (big left hook) against the bigger man in Martinez to prevail.

Fenech's heart, will and determination were fantastic.

 

Fenech UD.

 

Well said John, you beat me to it. To state otherwise is biased and/or lacking knowledge.