When Prince Naseem Hamed fought for the final time in May 2002, another boxing phenomenon was only a month away from appearing on the Lennox Lewis–Mike Tyson undercard.
Hamed –– whose life and career are the focus of the upcoming biopic Giant, due for release next month –– tore up the British boxing playbook throughout the 1990s with his swagger, power and audacity. The Sheffield star wowed home fans with masterful displays against the likes of Steve Robinson before taking his outrageous skillset to America. His U.S. debut became one of the decade’s great fights, a wild shootout with Kevin Kelley that featured multiple knockdowns before Hamed retained his WBO featherweight title with a fourth-round KO.
The career-altering loss to Marco Antonio Barrera, however, marked the beginning of the end, and Hamed’s final bout –– a points win over Manuel Calvo –– closed the curtain.
Across the Atlantic, one of Barrera’s future rivals, Manny Pacquiao, was preparing for his IBF super-bantamweight title defence against Jorge Eliecer Julio on the Lewis–Tyson bill. And it was Pacquiao who Hamed singled out for lavish praise when the pair met in a moment captured by Boxing King Media. With Pacquiao — who described Hamed as his favourite fighter — standing beside him, “Naz” said:
“Game changer has to go to the one and only Manny Pacquiao. Eight times, eight different weights. Changed our sport forever. It’s the truth.”
Hamed won three world titles at featherweight, but Pacquiao climbed even higher, claiming championships in eight divisions from flyweight (112lbs) to super-welterweight (154lbs), defeating Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto and many others during a historic run.
Pacquiao, who returned this year with a credible draw against Mario Barrios, could fight again in 2026 at the age of 46 as he targets another world title at welterweight.
