Since the advent of boxing as a sport, there have been quite a few fighters who were able to shock the audience and fight in the ring in a very frank stance, constantly irritating the opponent with their feints. But even in this cohort there are people who can be considered the most extravagant and, in a good sense, “frostbitten”. One of these boxers at the time was Hamed "Prince" Nasim.
Birth and start of boxing
The future eminent athlete was born on February 12, 1974 in the city of Sheffield (United Kingdom). His family was mixed: in his family there are both English and representatives of Yemen. In the boxing section, Hamed “Prince” Nasim first appeared at the age of six, where he was able to quickly progress due to excellent physical data. Already at age 18, the Briton was in the professional league.
Way to the top
It took the athlete only three years of performances in the pro-ring to win his first WBO world champion title in the featherweight category. He took the belt from Steve Robinson, and brightly and more than convincingly, winning by knockout. After this, Hamed "Prince" Nasim holds four fights in which he successfully defends his title from the encroachments of competitors and enters into a unifying fight against American Tom Johnson. In this confrontation, the Briton shows himself to be the best, and in his hands is already two titles: WBO and IBF. Unfortunately, the policy of the International Boxing Federation was such that the Briton was eventually stripped of his title. But this did not upset the champion, because he signed a contract with the famous American HBO television channel.
Showman
Hamed "Prince" Nasim from the very beginning of high-level performances began to flirt with the public. However, at first, people perceived him as a sick and mentally unbalanced person. This was facilitated by his antics, with which he managed to distinguish himself. So, his smile annoyed many. I did not like his manner of looking contemptuously and condescendingly at his rivals. But in the end, it became clear that this behavior was part of a plan that the British implemented in order to bring his opponents out of balance. Over time, the audience fell in love with this charismatic fighter. And moreover, she began to forgive him with antics and tricks, because she loved bright boxing. "Prince" Nasim Hamed, whose biography is interesting to this day, always showed interesting fights and even brighter outlets to the ring. Everyone perfectly remembers his carpet-plane, the throne with lackeys, various somersaults and erotic dances - all of this could not go unnoticed and paid off. Tickets for his fights were expensive, but people paid the money to enjoy a vibrant show.
Ring behavior
As a boxer, “Prince” Nasim Hamed was famous for his non-standard equipment. He had a characteristic manner of boxing with his arms fully down and a sweet smile on his opponent in the eye. There was no aggression in him, but at the same time he fought quite toughly. Sometimes he flirted, as, for example, in a fight with Kevin Kelly, when the Briton knocked down already in the first and second three-minute periods. But what in the end? And the ending of that fight was an American knockout in the fourth round. And to whom, then, what matters is the behavior of the impudent and bold representative of the Misty Albion?
Fatal defeat
Boxing is boxing. “Prince” Nasim Hamed, whose best fights were broadcast around the world, unfortunately, was unable to develop his natural gift, which as a result led to his fall from the top.
April 7, 2001. MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas, USA. Duel for the vacant IBO featherweight title. Boxer “Prince” Nasim Hamed meets in the ring with the most dangerous Marco Antonio Barrera, who for this fight specially changed his way of boxing, becoming more technical and concentrated.
The battle itself was more than tense. The Mexican showed upscale boxing. "Prince" Nasim Hamed (the best fights, as it turned out, were left behind) was declassified and humiliated.
The Briton could not pick up the key to his opponent. From anger and unfolding, Hamed in the second round behaved unsportsmanlike, and it became clear to everyone that this was the end of the era of the great fighter. With each subsequent round, Barrera hit more and more. Hamed's head literally flew away from his fists, and smiles on his lips as never happened at all. All this quite naturally led to a well-deserved victory on the points of the Mexican and the fatal defeat of Nasim, who so ineptly used his skill. By the way, many experts agree that the Briton stopped developing as a boxer and therefore suffered a defeat.
After this "public flogging" as a showman, the "Prince" ceased to exist. He had another match with the little-known Spaniard Manuel Calvo and ended his career.
But life, as you know, is not only boxing. "Prince" Nasim Hamed (his biography is truly unique) by the will of fate and his slovenliness in May 2006 ended up in prison. The fault was the dangerous driving of the car. But already in September, he received early release.