5 d. ago Watching James Bond play my great uncle Brendan in Giant was surreal and spooky | Sean Ingle

Biopic charting Naseem Hamed’s rise has reopened old wounds but is also a reminder of what was and what might have beenThe first time I watched Prince Naseem Hamed train, my jaw couldn’t have dropped any faster if he had hit me with one of his lassoing uppercuts. I had followed all his fights on TV, of course. But to see him in the flesh in September 1994, a year before he became world champion, was an altogether more visceral and mesmeric experience.Hamed’s punches sounded like firecrackers welcoming in the new year as they smashed into the pads. He was almost impossible to hit. And, most staggering of all, despite standing 5ft 4in tall and weighing only nine stone, he would bully far bigger men in sparring – including fighters such as John Keeton, who went on to become the British cruiserweight champion – until my great uncle, Brendan Ingle, called time. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago ‘The whole world can think whatever they want’ – Naseem Hamed on boxing, racism and his greatest regret

Former champion on his relationship with trainer Brendan Ingle, now portrayed on film, quitting at the right time and the importance of his faithNaseem Hamed carries himself with a stately grandeur these days. Having settled his considerable bulk into a comfortable chair he pauses meaningfully. We look at each other intently and it’s hard to believe the incorrigible little “Naz fella”, the swaggering Prince Naseem who became a world champion 30 years ago and changed British boxing forever with his dazzling aptitude for fighting and showmanship, is 51 now.“This is the one thing you need to understand,” Hamed says as he remembers Brendan Ingle’s famous old gym in Sheffield. “The minute I walked through the doors of that boxing club, that was it. I saw the ring, the bags, the lines on the floor, and I was immediately obsessed. This was going to be my life. I saw boxing as a game of tag. I’m going to hit you and you can’t hit me. It took speed and accuracy and I was really good at it.” ...

Events

9 d. ago Prince Naseem Hamed issues brutal verdict on film about his career

Giant is released in cinemas today and tells the story of Prince Naseem Hamed's relationship with trainer Brendan Ingle - but the fighter had no input

Politics

9 d. ago Prince Naseem is almost unrecognisable after piling on the pounds

Hamed was one of the most entertaining fighters of his generation, but after retiring at the age of 28, the boxing legend has been enjoying life well and truly

Politics

9 d. ago Prince Naseem Hamed was jailed after crash broke every bone in driver's body

Naseem Hamed was a real showman throughout his career as a professional boxer, but had his struggles outside of the ring after retiring in 2002

Events

9 d. ago 'Prince' Naseem Hamed unrecognisable at Giant film premiere with Pierce Brosnan

‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed looked unrecognisable at the 'Giant' film premiere as he shared a playful wrestle with movie star Pierce Brosnan despite saying most of the film was 'made up'

Politics

1 week ago Pierce Brosnan reveals he spent hours having prosthetics applied each day for his dramatic transformation into boxing trainer Brendan Ingle for biopic Giant

The actor, 72, appeared on The One Show on Tuesday to promote the film alongside Amir El-Masry, who plays Prince Naseem.

Events

2 w. ago Moses Itauma out to become Britain’s youngest world champion of all time after missing out on Mike Tyson’s record

MOSES ITAUMA is out to become Britain's youngest world champion of all time. The record is currently held by Prince Naseem Hamed, who won the WBO featherweight title at 21 years and seven months old. Itauma only turned 21 on December 28 and returns to the ring on January 24 in Manchester against durable American...

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