October 24, 2:00 PMDallas Boxing ExaminerMatt Stolow
Prince Naseem Hamed in action
tribune.india.comA moment of ******ity seriously mars the otherwise obvious selection of "The Prince" Naseem Hamed into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
His first two attempts in front of the voters failed, but he's getting much closer.
This isn't about a spoiled baseball player who took steroids to inflate his records. I'm speaking of the greatest baseball players. This is a multiple world champion at junior feather and featherweight, maybe Britain's finest ever says the respected Steve Bunce.
Hamed seriously injured a couple in an oncoming vehicle while crossing the white line traveling 90 MPH in an expensive Mercedes sports car. He only served four of his scheduled 15 months in prison before being released. He also served a four - year driving ban and a mega hefty fine.
Hamed finished his career 36-1, 31 knockouts. But more than the three world championships he held, he connected with some fans like few others ever did. You either loved him or hated him. Few were in beteween.
His antics and ring entrances made him legendary.
His 1997 war with Kevin Kelly in his American debut is one of my 10 favorite fights of all time.
His career really ended sometime during the night of the embarrassing defeat to Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001. He never opted for his option for a rematch. He took one final uninspired bout a year later but the moves, the drama, the inspiration, the magic, were gone. He then retired again for good.
He was awarded the coveted and prestigious MBE (Members of the Order of the British Empire) by the Queen. But after he was sentenced to prison, and other serious moving violations were discovered, it was unceremoniously stripped from him.
Time may never clear the cloud over Hamed.
I believe he gets voted in his this time. I don't see how you keep him out although Hamed may deserve an asterisk by his name. Hamed 's case would be equal to that of controversial future Baseball Hall of Fame candidates Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens.
A Hall of Fame executive told me that the Hall houses murderers, felons, rapists, pedophiles and other criminals, as do the other Halls of other sports.
Other than the superstars such as Larry Holmes in 2007 and Lennox Lewis last year, virtually no fighters get in on their first attempt. The rest start getting the votes needed by their fifth attempt.
The Prince gets my vote.
Prince Naseem Hamed in action
tribune.india.comA moment of ******ity seriously mars the otherwise obvious selection of "The Prince" Naseem Hamed into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
His first two attempts in front of the voters failed, but he's getting much closer.
This isn't about a spoiled baseball player who took steroids to inflate his records. I'm speaking of the greatest baseball players. This is a multiple world champion at junior feather and featherweight, maybe Britain's finest ever says the respected Steve Bunce.
Hamed seriously injured a couple in an oncoming vehicle while crossing the white line traveling 90 MPH in an expensive Mercedes sports car. He only served four of his scheduled 15 months in prison before being released. He also served a four - year driving ban and a mega hefty fine.
Hamed finished his career 36-1, 31 knockouts. But more than the three world championships he held, he connected with some fans like few others ever did. You either loved him or hated him. Few were in beteween.
His antics and ring entrances made him legendary.
His 1997 war with Kevin Kelly in his American debut is one of my 10 favorite fights of all time.
His career really ended sometime during the night of the embarrassing defeat to Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001. He never opted for his option for a rematch. He took one final uninspired bout a year later but the moves, the drama, the inspiration, the magic, were gone. He then retired again for good.
He was awarded the coveted and prestigious MBE (Members of the Order of the British Empire) by the Queen. But after he was sentenced to prison, and other serious moving violations were discovered, it was unceremoniously stripped from him.
Time may never clear the cloud over Hamed.
I believe he gets voted in his this time. I don't see how you keep him out although Hamed may deserve an asterisk by his name. Hamed 's case would be equal to that of controversial future Baseball Hall of Fame candidates Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens.
A Hall of Fame executive told me that the Hall houses murderers, felons, rapists, pedophiles and other criminals, as do the other Halls of other sports.
Other than the superstars such as Larry Holmes in 2007 and Lennox Lewis last year, virtually no fighters get in on their first attempt. The rest start getting the votes needed by their fifth attempt.
The Prince gets my vote.
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