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By Thomas Gerbasi - Back when Prince Naseem Hamed was stirring up equal amounts of love and hate among those in the boxing community while starching featherweights left and right, it was a normal thing to see photos of Naz and his flaming gloves in the windows of Yemeni restaurants and storefronts in downtown Brooklyn.
Soon, another picture would join Hamed’s – one of Sadam Ali. At the time, it was an honor more important than any belt or medal for the Brooklynite.
“He (Hamed) is one of the reasons why I started boxing,” Ali said. “I grew up watching Prince Naseem and I was inspired by him. It wasn’t only beautiful boxing, it was also entertainment and he made it look like it was fun. So to follow in his footsteps is a beautiful feeling, but honestly I’m still climbing the ladder.”
At 26, Ali has a refreshing maturity in his approach to the fight game. After a stellar amateur career capped off by a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, he didn’t take a conventional path into the pro ranks. There was no signing with a major promoter, no early TV dates, and no huge media push. He even promoted himself for a spell.
“I started doing my own promotion and I was taking my time to sign with somebody because I didn’t want to rush into anything,” he said. “That’s what a lot of people were doing, but I wanted to work with the right people.” [Click Here To Read More]
Soon, another picture would join Hamed’s – one of Sadam Ali. At the time, it was an honor more important than any belt or medal for the Brooklynite.
“He (Hamed) is one of the reasons why I started boxing,” Ali said. “I grew up watching Prince Naseem and I was inspired by him. It wasn’t only beautiful boxing, it was also entertainment and he made it look like it was fun. So to follow in his footsteps is a beautiful feeling, but honestly I’m still climbing the ladder.”
At 26, Ali has a refreshing maturity in his approach to the fight game. After a stellar amateur career capped off by a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, he didn’t take a conventional path into the pro ranks. There was no signing with a major promoter, no early TV dates, and no huge media push. He even promoted himself for a spell.
“I started doing my own promotion and I was taking my time to sign with somebody because I didn’t want to rush into anything,” he said. “That’s what a lot of people were doing, but I wanted to work with the right people.” [Click Here To Read More]