If Hamed's career was 15 years later

Do you have any sources? I’ve never heard anyone push anti-Arab sentiment as the reason Hamed quit.

 

I'm not pushing it. That's what happened.

Which Sports networks in the U.S. pushed pro-Arab athletes in late 2001 and in the subsequent years after?

 

The most flag-waving, Bible thumping, family-values-loving, child-bearing, pro-America, #1 country band in the world at that time was The Dixie Chicks. One of them said on stage she was embarrassed by the President pushing to go to war, and their careers were ended overnight.

They tried a comeback but never fully recovered.

And they weren't Middle-Eastern, arrogant fighters who came here bragging about their accomplishments.

I doubt security could've safely protected Hamed if he'd done the same act post 9/11 he'd done previously ... nobody was having it.

 

I can’t name any Arab athletes other than Hamed from that time.

A source would be good. The Dixie Chicks was a totally separate issue—they catered to white people in the South and took a political stance. Hamed wasn’t a country singer with vocal liberal political opinions.

 

He was cast as a heel. Not a villain. Certainly not a terrorist.

Dude got paid, he started living the good life, and his career went downhill. Seen it a hundred times in this sport. Blaming his decline on 9/11 is a stretch too far for me.

 

Look at the torch passing between the highest PPV boxers. De La Hoya beat Chavez to get things rolling. Mayweather beat De La Hoya to join the club. Pacquiao also beat De La Hoya to join the club. Mayweather beat Pacquiao to break the record. And Canelo lost to Mayweather, but got his name out there and took the Mexican market. He took over the May and September spots from Mayweather.

Hamed wasn't a part of that.

 

Interesting take on hamed, I assumed he lost motivation got fat and that was it.
That time would have had an influence in his life, like all Muslims, and it is conceivable it did play a part in him retiring among other things.
Also they did play up the Arab Muslim v american (not sure HBO or other) in a super middleweight bout, maybe a NABF title or something with Omar sheika v I forget, I felt really sorry for him being used in the way, but they hyped it up.

 

He made a ton of money by those days standards and made good investments that allowed him to maintain a high standard of living sans boxing (property as far as I know). He also had a very acrimonious split with Brendan Ingle just before the Barrera fight which his colossal ego could not handle as well as a new marriage and young family.

He was the epitome of a fighter finding it hard to do roadwork at 5 am while sleeping in silk sheets. Watch the YT documentary "Paddy and the Prince", Ingle is quite vocal about Naz's training habits in the latter days which didn't amount to a great deal basically.

Dude just had enough of the weight cuts, training camps, pantomime villain image and potentially losing more fights and decided living still as a rich man only without all the previously mentioned was the one that suited him.

 

Enjoying this thread, which happily has so far not descended into acrimony. Naz is one of my all-time favourites. Just last night I rewatched the Barrera fight. It hurts a little to see him being made to look a fool, but I think what's clear is that this wasn't the same Prince of a couple years earlier. Emmanuel Steward was briefly in charge of his training before the bout, and a flash interview saw him being asked if he'd liked what he'd seen during one session:

*long pause*
"...Not really".

He wasn't training properly, and was losing his edge as a result. He looked a little like Wilder at times during sparring, stumbling after throwing uncontrolled uppercuts from near his ankles. He was 60lbs above fight weight - that's 50% of his total fight weight - during camp. With lack of preparation and a strained body, he was never going to beat Barrera. And after having his aura shattered, it seems he could never get his motivation back.

As for starting in 2007 - I dunno. One of his chief draws was his appearance of invincibility, which allowed him his theatrical levels of arrogance and showboating. Although I really think he could hang with the likes of the mentioned fighters, he wouldn't have been able to stand out like he did in the 90s. Arrogance and showmanship look good when you're winning. When you're losing, you're Muzzy Izzet (did I get that name right?).

 

Absolutely brilliant thread, Fcukin class infact. Best I've read doublechin really got my mind going pal, a theory to end all theories, I will look into that, before I make my mind up.

 

Prince Naseem remains the stand out most exciting and well known British BW/FW of the past 30 years and that’s some achievement.

It’s extremely rare for boxers at such a low weight class to get any media attention or notoriety. But the Prince Naseem even competes with the likes Eubank and Lewis from that era in terms of popularity and notoriety.

He was a real one off in terms of talent and marketability.

He retired when he did because he lost the Love for the sport and couldn’t be bothered with the strict diet and training anymore. There is a documentary on the build up to the Barrera fight and it’s very clear as it’s in his own words.