HAMED’S GREATEST HITS

Naming the most impressive victories of Prince Naseem’s glittering career

1. STEVE ROBINSON

Everything about this 1995 thrashing was impressive, not least the fact that Hamed was just 21 and having first fight at featherweight. He claimed the WBO strap via eighth round stoppage in a display that changed the face of British boxing overnight.

2. KEVIN KELLEY

The most thrilling of Hamed’s victories, yet strewn with errors, the Sheffield superstar wowed the New York crowd while papering over the widening cracks in his relationship with trainer Brendan Ingle. It would be his fifth and final win of 1997.

3. TOM JOHNSON

Unbeaten in six years and one of the most consistent belt-holders in the sport at the time, Johnson surrendered his IBF title in eight rounds to a typically rampant Hamed in 1997.

4. WILFREDO VAZQUEZ

The decorated Vazquez was approaching the end by 1998 but, nonetheless, was made to look ordinary as the Prince finished him in seven sessions.

5. VUYANI BUNGU

After entering the ring on a magic carpet, Hamed became the first and only man to stop Bungu in 2000 as he terrorised the South African from the start to the fourth round finish.

6. BILLY HARDY

Before one of the most violent entries into Hamed’s KO catalogue, Naz promised to stop Hardy inside a round. After doing just that in 93 seconds he said, “I’m destined for greatness.”

7. VINCENZO BELCASTRO

Hamed, then only 20, drew criticism from the media, including the great Hugh Mcilvanney, for the manner in which he taunted the capable Belcastro while beating him up in 1994.

8. JOSE BADILLO

Flawless in the extreme, Hamed wowed the Sheffield Arena crowd, and those watching on TV, as he pummelled the resistance out of Badillo in seven onesided rounds on the undercard of Joe Calzaghe-chris Eubank in 1997.

9. MANUEL MEDINA

Hamed blamed the flu for this gruelling affair. The wily Mexican, eventually halted in 11, rebounded to win multiple alphabet championships following this 1996 loss.

10. WAYNE MCCULLOUGH

Such was the weight of expectancy on Hamed’s shoulders in 1998, this convincing (albeit thrill-free) 12-round points victory over the astonishingly tough Mccullough was not well received.