Was the hype behind prince naseem fake?

As already said, talent wise he was incredible. He was a whole package. Still something was missing - a real dedication. He was GOAT showman in boxing IMO.

Hamed was the real deal but his own ego got the better of him. He didn't even train properly for the Barrera fight (watch the doc Little Prince Big Fight) and he still went 12 with an (at the time) elite fighter. Hamed was a victim of his own success - he relied too much on his natural ability at the expense of serious training. Emanuel Steward actually left him after a very short time together because of Hamed's poor training habits. Hamed could have been a genuine ATG if only he remained dedicated to the sport. But by the time he fought Barrera he was a shadow of his former self.

Hamed was the real deal but his own ego got the better of him. He didn't even train properly for the Barrera fight (watch the doc Little Prince Big Fight) and he still went 12 with an (at the time) elite fighter. Hamed was a victim of his own success - he relied too much on his natural ability at the expense of serious training. Emanuel Steward actually left him after a very short time together because of Hamed's poor training habits. Hamed could have been a genuine ATG if only he remained dedicated to the sport. But by the time he fought Barrera he was a shadow of his former self.

He went down hill after he split from his Trainer Bredan Ingle. Which was after the McCollough fight. Fame went to his head. He was never the same after that. Shame he was a great fighter and showman.

He gets judged harshly because he peaked a short while before the likes Pacquiao, Barrera and Morales appeared on the scene. The Marquez fight might've happened, for some reason didn't, but Hamed was still beating top 10 ranked contenders and other belt holders/former belt holders. Yeah the Marquez one is the only one that really should have happened that didnt because Marquez was at 126 there while hamed was for a while. When barrera and morales first got really popular (at 122) hamed was at 126 by that time. I REALLY wanted to see morales-hamed but the barrera one happened first and hamed just retired and got fat. JMM should have fought him but JMM should have fought barrera and morales too but the barrera fights happened years too late and a morales fight fell through at 130+ but he should have gotten his ass in the mix at 126 with them earlier.

10 former or to be titlists, so what? Being a titlist doesn't mean much I'm sorry. Vazquez was almost 40 when Hamed beat him. Kelley was his best win. I'm not saying Hamed was a bum but he isn't HOF worthy. The assertion that he "never beat anybody" suggests that he never beat a single recognizable fighter, which is absolutely ridiculous to anyone who has any knowledge of that particular period.Anybody who makes such an assertion is merely exposing their own lack of knowledge of this sport. One of the great ironies in denigrating Hamed is that he is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most accomplished, recognizable names on Barrera's resume.The only other guy that Barrera beat of a similar or superior standing was Erik Morales.So in denigrating Hamed, you're actually doing a great disservice to Barrera and his legacy. And what exactly does it mean to be "HOF worthy?" You honestly think this organization is about only recognizing the very best? And what's the criteria for being inducted, anyway?

yes. event the excuses as to why he got manhandled by MAB was even worse: "he wasnt really trying" "too many distractions" "he old" Barerra was the greatest fighter he ever faced and it was his first big fight in Las Vegas and he wasnt up for it? GTFO with that bullsh*t. The stage for Tyson vs Douglas was huge but Tyson was unfocused. If you are bullsh1tting and not taking your career serious then stuff like that happens. Naz wasn't old and was in his prime.....it's just his focus wasn't there. Everyone who followed boxing, his trainers and everyone who watched the sport knew he wasn't taking boxing serious....this is basically common knowledge to anyone who followed the sport.

He gets judged harshly because he peaked a short while before the likes Pacquiao, Barrera and Morales appeared on the scene. The Marquez fight might've happened, for some reason didn't, but Hamed was still beating top 10 ranked contenders and other belt holders/former belt holders. Those guys were all on the scene. The problem is that outside of Morales, both Barrera and Pacquiao suffered upset defeats that set them back in the eyes of the general public. Pacquiao was one of the best fighters 115 and under, but got demolished by Singsurat and Barrera got demolished by Junior Jones. Prior to that they were both elite, and as time passed proved to still be atg fighters....It's just at Naz high, they were at their low.

yes. event the excuses as to why he got manhandled by MAB was even worse: "he wasnt really trying" "too many distractions" "he old" Barerra was the greatest fighter he ever faced and it was his first big fight in Las Vegas and he wasnt up for it? GTFO with that bullsh*t. I don't think anyone said he was old, he was 27 years old. However, he was on the slide mentally and physically (hands) and it's no surprise he barely fought again, he cashed out.

Naz was no where near himself in the Barerra fight, he didn't train much and had too many distractions. And if you think things like that don't make a difference than go and watch Mayweather vs Spafodora, where a unprepared Mayweather sparred against a fighting fit Spafodora and was made to look REALLY average. Got beaten easily in that match. Hamed was past his prime as well. Would it be fair to judge Barerra against Amir Khan? I don't think so.... IMO Hamed > Barerra > Khan

yes. event the excuses as to why he got manhandled by MAB was even worse: "he wasnt really trying" "too many distractions" "he old" Barerra was the greatest fighter he ever faced and it was his first big fight in Las Vegas and he wasnt up for it? GTFO with that bullsh*t.

Naseem was a fake. Next question

Did Barrera face the best Hamed? I don't think so, that Hamed retired so soon after due to hand problems tells its own story. Barrera would have beaten Hamed any day of the week, Barrera had very short punches and had a granite chin. Spells trouble for Hamed. That being said it was a clash of styles, Hamed was a very good featherweight he had guys like Kelley, Sanchez, Ingle, McCullough, Vazquez, Johnson, Robinson and a large number of defenses. I think because of his Barrera loss and his swift retirement he can't claim to be a great featherweight. He took a loss and never even attempted to climb back to the top, but on his game, a very good featherweight.

Naseem hamed was a bum fighter - he was clueless in the Barrera fight and his brothers got involved in business which Frank Warren didn't like. he never beat anyone special

Vasquez was washed up when hamed beat him Slipping but absolutely not washed up. I'd say he was at the same place in his career as Tszyu was when Hatton beat him. Tszyu a better fighter though. Not trying to say anything else.

He gets judged harshly because he peaked a short while before the likes Pacquiao, Barrera and Morales appeared on the scene. The Marquez fight might've happened, for some reason didn't, but Hamed was still beating top 10 ranked contenders and other belt holders/former belt holders.

If that wasn't the best Hamed then who was the best Hamed? It doesn't get better than undefeated...... The one that wasn't blowing up in weight between fights and who was training properly. Yet the Kelley fight also provided vivid evidence that The Prince was entering what was to become a steady decline. The reflexes that had carried him through numerous battles over the years were slipping and he was becoming ever more easy to hit. This was partly due to the fact that as the knockouts mounted Hamed began to approach each fight as if a stoppage was inevitable. In doing so he neglected his skills and eventually allowed them to atrophy. By the time he faced Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001 he had become something of a one-dimensional puncher. The grace and fluidity of his early ring outings was now little more than a distant memory. Combinations became less frequent as Hamed became a stalking puncher obsessed with landing the big left hand. His fight against the hard-hitting Augie Sanchez, 26-1, provided further evidence of Hamed’s, by now, one-track approach. Both fighters were stunned in a wildly exciting slugfest before Hamed found the punches to stop the American in the fourth; it was to be his last successful defence; a life and death struggle against an opponent he would have dissected a few years previously. At the age of twenty-seven Hamed, by now a millionaire husband and father had fallen out of love with the sport. The contentment of his home life proved ever harder to abandon for the Spartan rigours of camp and he became an increasingly reluctant trainer. These chickens came home to roost against Barrera, who boxed smartly to soundly outpoint a strangely plodding and distracted Hamed and in doing so handed him his one and only defeat. Not saying Hamed would have won previously, but he was well on the slide by the time he fought Barrera.

He didn't beat anybody... Doesn't mean he wasn't talented, but the hype was definitely way out of proportion. Dude lost to the only great fighter he ever faced. This is kind of ridiculous. He beat 10 former or to be titlists. He was the lineal champ. He beat Vasquez and Kelley. Those are high quality wins. Overall he's definitely HOF worthy. Overhyped? Yeah i'd say so. Just like with Tyson people enjoyed his style and showmanship.

If that wasn't the best Hamed then who was the best Hamed? It doesn't get better than undefeated...... Did Barrera face the best Hamed? I don't think so, that Hamed retired so soon after due to hand problems tells its own story.

Did Barrera face the best Hamed? I don't think so, that Hamed retired so soon after due to hand problems tells its own story.