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Naseem Hamed: The Prince’s Place in History
I came across this at ESB (http://www.********boxing.com/news.php?p=6498&more=1) and figured I would share it.
This is one of my all time favorite boxers!!!!!
By Michael Klimes: In the Oxford Dictionary the word Houdini is defined as ‘a person skilled at escaping,’ after the notorious magician.
A former British boxer that used to be a magician in the ring was Naseem Hamed or The Prince (as he liked to call himself). Hamed, with Chris Eubank, Michael Watson, Nigel Benn and Lennox Lewis was once one of the finest British fighters of the 1990s. He may even have been the best.
Hamed was a precocious little man. He started off his professional career boxing as a bantamweight but quickly moved up a division to the featherweights where he rapidly stood out as something outstanding and unique. Indeed, Hamed possessed many qualities that only come to naturals: He was a brilliant switch hitter that could change his stance with ease, he could launch bone breaking punches from either hand with lethal precision, had wonderful reflexes and an exciting, crowd pleasing style. The Prince on form was a delight to watch.
A Possible Return?
Hamed, on numerous occasions has spoken of a comeback but these have proved to be empty remarks. There were hints of a planned return in early 2006 but this has not happened. In a recent interview he said, ‘I’ve been spending plenty of time with my two sons, my wife and parents just chilling. I’ve been boxing since the age of seven and it got to a point where I just thought I could take a break and that’s what I did.’
A number of factors prohibit a successful return of The Prince and it is an illusion to believe that if he does return he will be a boxer of the same mould. Hamed, like Muhammad Ali in a Mark II model will not have the same speed and reflexes that were the hallmarks of his prime. Subsequently, this will effect his style as he won’t be able to get out of trouble by slipping punches like he did in the old days. What we will see if Hamed tries to fight as his older self will be more knock downs and bigger punishment. Ali was savagely beaten in some rounds of his bouts between 1970-1975 (when he was still a great fighter even though in decline) because he simply could not maintain the original work rate he used to be known for. Ali had to use his incredible intelligence and mental strength to stay barely competitive in parts of fights. Hamed will have to exercise a similar array of qualities if he wants to beat the toughest opponents. Boxing purists were not entirely wrong in their criticisms of Ali’s and Hamed’s defences, they were fundamentally flawed but only when their defensive reflexes failed them from ageing.
Another foreseeable trial is that if Hamed has slowed, then his style will have to a more orthodox defence. This means changing his stance, which means playing around with his balance and how he throws his punches. One of Hamed’s great strengths was that he could punch from the most awkward of angles because of this awkward stance and balance. If a trainer changes this The Prince is not only fighting in a completely different way but also is doing something that is not natural to him and goes against his most intuitive fighting instincts.
Hamed could still retain the wonderful duplicity of switch-hitting and deliver bombs in each hand but he will need to learn how to fight more economically. Showcasing stunning two round knockouts and engaging in four round wars is not the way to set the pace of a bout and wear down your adversary. Hamed needs to be patient, work a jab, take rest periods through clinching if he is tired, work the body and then deliver the knockout. He does not want to believe and operate on the one punch knock out philosophy.
The other problems are connected to weight and character. It is important that he fights at the weight he is most comfortable with and does not cut training like he did towards the latter half of his world title reign. The celebrity spotlight life he liked to live must not be rekindled and he will need to be wary of younger fighters coming up who want to staple his big name as a former world champion to their records. Sparring partners are invaluable from a training perspective as well as his lack of them in his big fight against Barrera showed. Hamed needs to be humble and not let himself get carried away with being flashy.
Other Opinions
Barry McGuigan, the former Irish brawler warned Hamed of his return stating, ‘My advice to Naseem is to stay retired and enjoy your life. It’s very difficult to go back and capture that hunger again. He can get into shape but it is a different thing from being fighting fit.’
Emanuel Steward, trainer of Tommy Hearns and Lennox Lewis suggests otherwise, ‘He can become a world champion again,’ Hamed’s comeback ‘has to be done properly and delicately. A lot of guys comeback and they rush into it. You have to be careful about the opponents. If he trains hard, I don’t think it will take him more than three months.’ Steward has announced his enthusiasm to work with Hamed as, ‘I only have fond memories of him.’
It seems, in my eyes, it is too late for The Prince. Frank Warren once said of him,’ I think at one stage he was the most exciting fighter that I'd ever been involved with. At one stage, in the early part of his career, he could have gone on to become one of the great fighters. But that disappeared when he didn't fight as regularly as he should have done, when he was cutting corners on his training. It just didn't work out for him from that point on.’
Hamed seems to have lacked what Ali said the true greats need, ‘Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.’
The will is something The Prince was always short of.
This is one of my all time favorite boxers!!!!!
By Michael Klimes: In the Oxford Dictionary the word Houdini is defined as ‘a person skilled at escaping,’ after the notorious magician.
A former British boxer that used to be a magician in the ring was Naseem Hamed or The Prince (as he liked to call himself). Hamed, with Chris Eubank, Michael Watson, Nigel Benn and Lennox Lewis was once one of the finest British fighters of the 1990s. He may even have been the best.
Hamed was a precocious little man. He started off his professional career boxing as a bantamweight but quickly moved up a division to the featherweights where he rapidly stood out as something outstanding and unique. Indeed, Hamed possessed many qualities that only come to naturals: He was a brilliant switch hitter that could change his stance with ease, he could launch bone breaking punches from either hand with lethal precision, had wonderful reflexes and an exciting, crowd pleasing style. The Prince on form was a delight to watch.
A Possible Return?
Hamed, on numerous occasions has spoken of a comeback but these have proved to be empty remarks. There were hints of a planned return in early 2006 but this has not happened. In a recent interview he said, ‘I’ve been spending plenty of time with my two sons, my wife and parents just chilling. I’ve been boxing since the age of seven and it got to a point where I just thought I could take a break and that’s what I did.’
A number of factors prohibit a successful return of The Prince and it is an illusion to believe that if he does return he will be a boxer of the same mould. Hamed, like Muhammad Ali in a Mark II model will not have the same speed and reflexes that were the hallmarks of his prime. Subsequently, this will effect his style as he won’t be able to get out of trouble by slipping punches like he did in the old days. What we will see if Hamed tries to fight as his older self will be more knock downs and bigger punishment. Ali was savagely beaten in some rounds of his bouts between 1970-1975 (when he was still a great fighter even though in decline) because he simply could not maintain the original work rate he used to be known for. Ali had to use his incredible intelligence and mental strength to stay barely competitive in parts of fights. Hamed will have to exercise a similar array of qualities if he wants to beat the toughest opponents. Boxing purists were not entirely wrong in their criticisms of Ali’s and Hamed’s defences, they were fundamentally flawed but only when their defensive reflexes failed them from ageing.
Another foreseeable trial is that if Hamed has slowed, then his style will have to a more orthodox defence. This means changing his stance, which means playing around with his balance and how he throws his punches. One of Hamed’s great strengths was that he could punch from the most awkward of angles because of this awkward stance and balance. If a trainer changes this The Prince is not only fighting in a completely different way but also is doing something that is not natural to him and goes against his most intuitive fighting instincts.
Hamed could still retain the wonderful duplicity of switch-hitting and deliver bombs in each hand but he will need to learn how to fight more economically. Showcasing stunning two round knockouts and engaging in four round wars is not the way to set the pace of a bout and wear down your adversary. Hamed needs to be patient, work a jab, take rest periods through clinching if he is tired, work the body and then deliver the knockout. He does not want to believe and operate on the one punch knock out philosophy.
The other problems are connected to weight and character. It is important that he fights at the weight he is most comfortable with and does not cut training like he did towards the latter half of his world title reign. The celebrity spotlight life he liked to live must not be rekindled and he will need to be wary of younger fighters coming up who want to staple his big name as a former world champion to their records. Sparring partners are invaluable from a training perspective as well as his lack of them in his big fight against Barrera showed. Hamed needs to be humble and not let himself get carried away with being flashy.
Other Opinions
Barry McGuigan, the former Irish brawler warned Hamed of his return stating, ‘My advice to Naseem is to stay retired and enjoy your life. It’s very difficult to go back and capture that hunger again. He can get into shape but it is a different thing from being fighting fit.’
Emanuel Steward, trainer of Tommy Hearns and Lennox Lewis suggests otherwise, ‘He can become a world champion again,’ Hamed’s comeback ‘has to be done properly and delicately. A lot of guys comeback and they rush into it. You have to be careful about the opponents. If he trains hard, I don’t think it will take him more than three months.’ Steward has announced his enthusiasm to work with Hamed as, ‘I only have fond memories of him.’
It seems, in my eyes, it is too late for The Prince. Frank Warren once said of him,’ I think at one stage he was the most exciting fighter that I'd ever been involved with. At one stage, in the early part of his career, he could have gone on to become one of the great fighters. But that disappeared when he didn't fight as regularly as he should have done, when he was cutting corners on his training. It just didn't work out for him from that point on.’
Hamed seems to have lacked what Ali said the true greats need, ‘Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.’
The will is something The Prince was always short of.
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