Meet your new hall of famer...

Naseem "The Prince" Hamed...

99% of boxing fans judge Hamed off of one decision loss to an all time great and off of what unknowledgable boxing "fans" say, but here's a short tribute to the hardest hitting, most exciting, ambidextrous, most unorthodox featherweight of all time.

***some highlights:

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*Naseem started his career at 114 lbs in 1992, and scored 10 out of 11 wins by knockout before winning the European Bantamweight title.
*After then campaigning at 122, and title shot presents itself at featherweight, where the 5'3" Hamed absolutely dominated and thrashed WBO titlist Steve Robinson in 8 rounds. Robinson was attempting to make his 8th defense of the title.
*Hamed defeats his #1 challenger Lawal in his first defense in 35 seconds. He floors Lawal with a leaping hook, Lawal gets up, Hamed lands two more punches and his first defense is over.
*Choosing to fight on despite the flu, Hamed knocks out Manuel Medina in 11, who has won a featherweight tile 5 times.
*Next year, Hamed fights #1 featherweight, 44-2-2 IBF titlist Tom Johnson, who had been titlist for 4 years with 11 defenses. Hamed dominates, embarasses the long time titlist and knocks him out in 8 to become the unified/linear featherweight champion.
*In his big American debut, Hamed puts on a fight of the year candidate with former titlist, 47-1-2 Kevin Kelly who had kayoed Derrick Gainer the year before. Each fighter suffers three knockdowns (Hamed floored with a big hook in the first round, and his glove touches the canvas twice) in 4 rounds, until Kelly finally succumbed.
*Next year, Hamed faces WBA titlist and 3-division titleholder Wilfredo Vazquez. In another fight of the year candidate, Hamed kayoes the Puerto Rican in 7. Hamed later that year won a wide decision against iron chinned former bantamweight titlist Wayne McColough.
*Hamed is recognized by the WBO for 10 straight KO defenses.

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...Here Hamed makes the critical mistake of firing his coach Brendan Ingle, who had trained him in his unique style since the age of 7. He employs inept Oscar Suarez, and Manny Steward who tries to turn the 5'3" fighter into a more conventional stand up punches, a huge mistake for someone who gets his power and defense from his unique style. Hamed starts to look for one punch, and his defense suffers.

*Hamed, after some mid round trouble, kayoes challenger Paul Ingle in 11, who later goes on to win the IBF featherweight title.
*Hamed faces WBC titlist Cesar Soto (who had kayoed Jose Luis Castillo). Soto fights to survive, and Hamed is now the rightful champion of the WBO, IBF, WBA, WBC.
*Bungu, who was superbantamweight champion with 13 defenses with wins over Kennedy McKinney and Danny Romero, challenges Hamed and suffers a fourth round kayo loss.
*After almost killing Augie Sanchez in the ring (literally), Hamed faces former superbantam champion Marco Antonio Barrera. Barrera boxes and counters Hamed well, while Hamed stalks looking for a single shot, and Hamed loses a 115-112 decision. Barrera goes on to become an all time great.
*Hamed returns and wins a dull decision over contender Manuel Calvo to win the IBO strap.

Hamed retires with a record of 36-1 (31), having won the WBO/WBA/IBF/WBC/IBO/Linear belts at featherweight, a titlist for almost 6 years, featherweight champion for 4+ years.

The most exciting little man of his time, greatest entertainer of his time, and the hardest hitting featherweight of all time.


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how exactly do you lose at the top level but win every belt in your weight class, the linear title, and become undisputed champion for four years?

whats the top level? srr, ali, henry armstrong and no one else?