Lauded as one of the most exhilarating fighters of all time, ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed inspired a generation of British boxers, though when it came to naming the greatest of all time, Hamed found himself split between two names.
‘Naz’ breathed new life into a dormant featherweight division during the 1990s, famously dethroning Wales’ Steve Robinson before stringing together 15 defences of the WBO title at 126lbs, and also capturing both the IBF and WBC crowns during that time.
The Sheffield superstar would hang up the gloves in 2002, but his wins over Kevin Kelley and Tom Johnson will live long in the memory, with his legacy cemented as the must-watch featherweight in British boxing history.
Yet, in terms of greatness, Hamed recognised that both of the standout candidates came from across the pond, crediting pound-for-pound legend Sugar Ray Robinson and heavyweight icon Muhammad Ali as boxing’s best, in an interview with Radio Rahim.
“The best ever will always have to go to the person that they [the public] always said, it is either Sugar Ray Robinson or Muhammad Ali.
“They are just set in stone, that will never change.”
Robinson ruled as the welterweight world champion for seven years, before coming both a five-time middleweight champion and the reason behind the introduction of ‘pound-for-pound’ rankings.
Meanwhile, Ali is the only three-time lineal heavyweight world champion and the only person to win the Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year award on six occasions, with victories over fellow greats such as Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Sonny Liston defining his exemplary career.
