Naseem Hamed
Naseem Hamed, nicknamed Prince Naseem and Naz, is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2002. He held multiple featherweight world championships between 1995 and 2000, and reigned as lineal champion from 1998 to 2001. In 2015, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The Ring magazine awarded Hamed an honorary featherweight title in 2019 to acknowledge his dominance of the division and the multiple champions he defeated; he is the only former world champion in any division thus far to receive this honour.
Hamed made his professional debut in the flyweight division at the age of 18 in 1992. In 1994, he won the European bantamweight title and the vacant WBC International super-bantamweight title. A year later he won the WBO featherweight title when he beat Steve Robinson via TKO in the eighth round. In 1997, he won the IBF featherweight title when he beat Tom Johnson via TKO in the eighth round. In 1999, he won the WBC featherweight title when he beat César Soto. In 2001, he lost his undefeated record when he was defeated by Marco Antonio Barrera. He returned to the ring a year later, for what turned out to be his final boxing match, beating the European champion Manuel Calvo for the IBO featherweight title.
Hamed was known for his unconventional boxing antics and ring entrances, which included entering the ring on a flying carpet. He was also known for his front somersault over the top rope into the ring, his southpaw boxing style, and one-punch knockout power, having finished his career with a knockout-to-win percentage of 84%. With his cocky persona and high-profile bouts he was a prominent figure in 1990s British pop culture, while Sean Ingle in The Guardian writes, "in his prime, Hamed was a global superstar". A headliner on both sides of the Atlantic, Dan Rafael of ESPN writes, "one of the biggest stars in the sport, the guy sold out arenas before his opponent was even named." Hamed, who is of Yemeni heritage, is credited with inspiring British Asian involvement in boxing.
In 2006 Hamed was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment and four years' disqualification from driving, for overtaking at 90mph, colliding with another car, the driver of which was seriously injured, and leaving the scene. He was subsequently stripped of his MBE.
In 2016, ESPN ranked Hamed at number 22 on its list of the top 25 fighters, pound for pound, of the last 25 years. As of August 2025, BoxRec ranks Hamed as the tenth greatest British boxer of all time, pound for pound. World Boxing, a sister publication of The Ring, ranked Hamed the 11th greatest British boxer of all time, and Gareth A. Davies of The Daily Telegraph ranked him 10th. The Ring also ranked Hamed the 46th greatest puncher of all time.
Early life
Hamed was born in February 1974 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, to Yemeni parents in a shop owned by his father. He grew up with eight siblings. A protege of Brendan Ingle's Wincobank gym, his talent and flashy southpaw style marked him out from an early age.Professional career
Early career
Hamed started boxing professionally at flyweight in 1992. He soon began rising through the ranks as he knocked out a series of opponents in the opening rounds. At age 20, he won the European bantamweight title, comprehensively beating the beleaguered Vincenzo Belcastro over twelve rounds. After one defence he won the WBC International super bantamweight title in 1994, overwhelming Freddy Cruz in Sheffield, whom he severely punished and stopped in six rounds. Hamed's popularity grew, his unorthodox style winning a large fan base and his boxing antics generating a large group of detractors. After signing for Frank Warren, Hamed, employing more spectacular entrances, knocked out better opposition in Enrique Angeles and Juan Polo Pérez, both within two rounds.WBO featherweight champion
Hamed vs. Robinson
Later in 1995, after controversially being named the WBO #1 featherweight contender, Hamed moved up to face Wales' defending WBO champion Steve Robinson. After dominating the bout and scoring a knockdown in round 5, Hamed won the title when the referee stopped the fight in round 8 after Robinson was caught with a left hook that dropped him spectacularly. The fight was held in front of Robinson's home crowd at the rugby ground, Cardiff Arms Park, with rain pouring down on the fighters and the ring. This was also the first bout where Hamed badly injured his hand, a problem that would continue for the rest of his career.Hamed vs. Medina
Hamed's next defence was in Dublin against former two-time world featherweight title holder Manuel Medina. In an entertaining, tough contest for Hamed on the night, Medina won several rounds of the fight. After knocking Medina down heavily in round 2, Hamed struggled to finish the fight. Hamed eventually knocked Medina down another two times in the 9th round. Finally, at the end of round 11, Medina's corner withdrew him from the fight on the advice of the ringside doctor. Hamed revealed in his post-fight interview that he had fought with a heavy cold. Medina would go on to have many more tough title fights, remarkably winning versions of the featherweight world title another three times. Hamed's next opponent was the 27–0 Remigio Molina of Argentina, who was stopped in two rounds.Unified featherweight champion
Hamed vs. Johnson
In February 1997, Hamed defeated long-time IBF champion Tom "Boom Boom" Johnson in eight rounds in a unification bout at the London Arena. After being constantly stunned and staggered from round 3 onwards, Johnson was finally dropped by a huge uppercut, then saved from further punishment by the referee. Hamed's first defence of both the WBO & IBF titles was a first-round KO of veteran British boxer and European champion Billy Hardy. Before the bout Hamed had correctly predicted he would win in round 1. The next defence was an easy two-round win against a hugely outclassed Juan Gerardo Cabrera. Due to boxing politics involving the IBF's mandatory challenger, Hamed was soon forced to relinquish the IBF title.Hamed vs. Badillo
In Hamed's hometown of Sheffield in October 1997, he produced one of the best performances of his career in defending his WBO title against Jose Badillo, whose corner entered the ring to stop the fight during round 7. Hamed's status as one of the biggest draws in the sport was evident with a stellar undercard that included Joe Calzaghe vs. Chris Eubank for the world super middleweight title.Hamed vs. Kelley
In late 1997 Hamed made his heavily hyped U.S. debut. His ceremonious arrival on the British Airways Concorde was covered by multiple media outlets. There, he and former WBC title holder Kevin Kelley fought in a highly entertaining bout at New York's Madison Square Garden. Prior to the fight, Kelley told Hamed, "I'm gonna smoke your boots". This fight marks something of a watershed in Hamed's career, as he was forced, for the first time, to abandon his hands-down style of fighting throughout the entire course of the bout, given the calibre of Kelley. Nonetheless, despite suffering three knockdowns himself, Hamed put Kelley down for a third and final time to win by a fourth-round knockout. This was his first of many fights on HBO.Hamed vs. Vázquez, McCullough, Ingle
In 1998, Hamed enjoyed victories over former three-time WBA title holder and then-lineal champion Wilfredo Vazquez, former WBC bantamweight title holder Wayne McCullough, and future IBF title holder Paul Ingle.Hamed vs. Soto
In October 1999 at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan, United States, Hamed defeated WBC featherweight champion Cesar Soto of Mexico over 12 rounds, adding the WBC title to his collection and unified the WBC & WBO titles. Hamed soon chose to relinquish his WBC title due to his commitment to being WBO champion.Had Vazquez not been stripped by the WBA of his belt, Hamed would have had the distinction of winning all four world titles in a division, something only Riddick Bowe had achieved by that point, at heavyweight.
Hamed vs. Bungu
In March 2000 at Olympia, Kensington, London, Hamed knocked out former long-reigning IBF super bantamweight title holder, Vuyani Bungu of South Africa. The fight was ended with a single straight left hand, in one of Hamed's most impressive performances and biggest victories.Hamed vs. Sanchez
Hamed fought in August 2000 against Augie Sanchez at Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States. Sanchez is known for being the last American to defeat Floyd Mayweather as an amateur boxer.Hamed successfully retained his WBO title for the fifteenth and final time against Sanchez via a devastating fourth-round knockout. Hamed broke his hand badly in the bout, and following surgery he spent half a year out of the gym, gaining 35 pounds in weight. Rather than face the unknown EBU Champion & WBO mandatory challenger István Kovács, Hamed relinquished his WBO title to pave the way for a Superfight with Marco Antonio Barrera.
Hamed vs. Barrera
Eight weeks prior to the fight, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on 7 April 2001, Marco Antonio Barrera prepared to fight. Barrera had moved up a weight division. At the end of training camp he was in the best shape of his life. According to Sky Sports, Barrera had "trained like a monk" in Big Bear, California, while Hamed trained in Bing Crosby's old house. Emanuel Steward had arrived to oversee the last two weeks of Hamed's training, including sparring, and was worried immediately. He had seen Barrera look razor sharp only a few months before in a stoppage win in Las Vegas, and watched Hamed not take his sparring with young Mexicans seriously. The fight was also for the International Boxing Organization World featherweight title.Barrera handed Naseem Hamed his first and only loss for the lineal featherweight championship by a twelve-round decision. Before the fight, Hamed was a 3 to 1 betting favourite in Las Vegas. Hamed could not hit Barrera with his trademark lefts as Barrera circled to his left and worked both head and body. Barrera was not a fan of Hamed's antics and responded to Hamed's punches during clinches. On one occasion early in the fight, Hamed grabbed Barrera and they both fell to the ground where Barrera threw a right jab, leading to a warning from referee Joe Cortez. In the 12th and final round Barrera trapped Hamed in a full-nelson and forced his head into the turnbuckle, resulting in a point deducted by referee Joe Cortez. Ultimately, Barrera threw more, and harder, punches and more impressive combinations than Hamed throughout the course of the fight. Barrera was awarded the victory via a unanimous decision, with the scorecards reading 115–112, 115–112, 116–111 and won the lineal and IBO featherweight titles. The fight drew 310,000 pay-per-view buys on HBO. It was the highest-grossing featherweight bout ever in the United States.