Just how good was Prince Naseem?

[m00ks]

Hamed gets alot of hate because of his attitude and you will see people talk down his talent because they cant seperate the person from the boxer.

Make no mistake Hamed had all the talent in the world. At his peak I had him rated as high as #4 p4p.

The only guy you can say he didn't fight was Marquez. If anyone says other than that there reaching.

He has great reflexes and a highly unorthodoxed style. He had legit 1 punch KO power in either hand and could KO you with any punch from any angle. He had a good chin, people think because they seen him go down his chin wasn't good, but if those people actually knew anything about boxing they would know his bad balance is what lead to him being knocked down.

His resume is very good. He beat all 3 major belt holders, 4 if you include the WBO during his run. He also beat a few guys who went on to win world titles and a hand full of former champions. He really cleaned out the division it took MAB coming up from 122 to beat him.

Wilfredo Vasquez(WBA Champion)
Tom Johnson(IBF Champion)
Cesar Soto(WBC Champion)
Manuel Medina(Former and Future World Champion)
Paul Ingle(Future IBF champion)
Kevin Kelley(Former World Champion)
Wayne McCoulough(Former World Champion)
Vuyani Bungu(Former World Champion)

As far as fighting todays featherweights.

He would have easily beaten guys like Pac, Chi or Harrison. Guys who come at him are guys he ate up. The guys who gave him problems are counter punchers and guys who like to stay back.

and I think you're giving him a wee bit more credit than he deserved but hey that's me.

[Sir_Jose]

and I think you're giving him a wee bit more credit than he deserved but hey that's me.

Did he not beat all these guys? Did he not have legit one punch KO power in either hand?

Wilfredo Vasquez(WBA Champion)
Tom Johnson(IBF Champion)
Cesar Soto(WBC Champion)
Manuel Medina(Former and Future World Champion)
Paul Ingle(Future IBF champion)
Kevin Kelley(Former World Champion)
Wayne McCoulough(Former World Champion)
Vuyani Bungu(Former World Champion)

Thats a very impresive resume.

[stu]

I think he was great when he was young and able to move so quickly to avoid punches.

It seemed to me that as he got older and his reflexes slowed down, he could not, or would not, adjust his style to cope with this.

[GasPed]

He was a great athlete, similar to RJJ in style - posing, hands low, jumping in and out and sideways, and punishing opponents with quick fists and power in both hands. But he wasn't quite the phenom Roy was, in that while RJJ was blindingly quick for a middle/super middle/Light heavy, everyone at featherweight is quick. So even though Prince was quick for a feather, once he met someone who was also quick and had skills, the jig was up.

Still, I rated him a 7, if only for his exceptional physical talents.

[m00ks]

Did he not beat all these guys? Did he not have legit one punch KO power in either hand?

Wilfredo Vasquez(WBA Champion)
Tom Johnson(IBF Champion)
Cesar Soto(WBC Champion)
Manuel Medina(Former and Future World Champion)
Paul Ingle(Future IBF champion)
Kevin Kelley(Former World Champion)
Wayne McCoulough(Former World Champion)
Vuyani Bungu(Former World Champion)

Thats a very impresive resume.

Well Wayne MacColough lost to Scott Harrison whom you say that prince would have beaten easily anyweyz, he also lost to Morales. Basically he never amounted to anything great.

Kevin Kelly he just overpowered and outtoughed. Kelley came barging in and Prince was just, well stronger. They traded knockdowns like they were punches. Getting dropped 3 times didn't impress me.

Medina was good but that's it. Luisito Espinosa from our very own Phillipines beat him twice. Basically he lost to everyone who had skill. Tapia, Marquez, Gainer, comeback Ingle fight. Kinda like Soto, who was a bit protected.

A win over Ingle was pretty good.

Win against Vasquez was "ok". I only say this cuz he was 38 when he fought Prince. Johnson was also 34 so a win against them was "ok" for me but that's it.

Bungu lost to Ledwaba who also got TKOed by Pacman.

So yah Prince was good but bah not amazing. That Barrera loss killed the myth.

[AJ53]

I think he was great when he was young and able to move so quickly to avoid punches.

It seemed to me that as he got older and his reflexes slowed down, he could not, or would not, adjust his style to cope with this.

i dont think he slowed because of age'
after he split with ingle he never seemed to train as hard for fights relying more and more on his power.
if he had stayed with ingle i think he would of continued to be great.

[m00ks]

Oh ye he did have a one punch KO but it's no good against a defensive fighter who 's fully aware of them.

[Moon]

The Prince was clearly an 8, one of the elite of a generation of elite fighters. He was clearly a peer of Barrera, Morales, Tom Johnson, and Kevin Kelley, the premier featherweights of that era. His loss to Barrera wasn't that bad, as he was atleast competitive.

Hamed was embarassed and made to look very unskilled by Barrerra.

Hamed played with people's minds, not only because he was boldy ****y and entered the ring with a "your dead" attitude, he also had quick hands and could counter nicely. His power was top notch. His attitude and skills mix were enough to place him on top. Unfortunately, he liked the bully role more than he did the boxer/fighter role.

Barrera was his complete undoing. Hamed never recovered and never will recover from that bad loss. Why? Because he knew the "game is over". What happened to Hamed was the most damning thing that can happen in boxing ... he was "exposed".

I don't mean to diminish Barrera's skills, but Hamed's loss was as much mental as it was about fighting. Hamed lost his mental edge when he faced the "I don't give a damn about our ring entrance" Barrera. Barrera had a plan to box and counter Hamed, but he also gave Hamed much too much to think about. Hamed's skills disappeared when he knew that Barrera was going to stay in front of him and fight without backing down.

Today, Hamed knows that the top Feathers (and plus minus) are all cut from the same cloth as Barrera. Mentally tough. They would all "expose" the mentally weak Hamed, just by not backing down, and exploit it as a win.

[Deejay]

Isn't hamed supposed to be making a comeback to boxing in 2005? I highly doubt it but I'm pretty sure someone mentioned it somewhere. I think it'd be good for boxing...imagine pacman v hamed....awesome!!

[THRILLAinmanila]

Isn't hamed supposed to be making a comeback to boxing in 2005? I highly doubt it but I'm pretty sure someone mentioned it somewhere. I think it'd be good for boxing...imagine pacman v hamed....awesome!!

Yeah. And many are saying he'd KO Pac. Would be an interesting fight between in-your-face brawlers.