Will the Prince

ever be King

One man single-handedly turned a generation's heads to the Boxing ring. But the same generation are turning their heads away again.

Can Prince Naseem Hamed win back the hearts of a nation at Olympia on March 11th.

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Every boxing fan has a Naz story. Everyone remembers when they became a believer. A personal testimony. Mine is a Cardiff night in September of '95. Cardiff Arms Park. Steve Robinson looked the business. He was a lean young boxer of the old school and a fitting champion. He had the respect. He had the moves. And he had a huge partisan home crowd waiting for the flash get from Sheffield to get his comeuppance. Prince Naseem Hamed was a long way from those cocky ego-trips to the ringside that lasted a couple of weeks longer than the fight, but his posing about wound up the Welsh fans to a frenzy. With the song "Hamed, Hamed, Who the F@ck is Hamed" ringing in his ears he went on to turn the crowd around. An eighth round stoppage. Unforgettable.

I remember holding court in a Chicago bar telling some hardened homeboys about the new British phenomenon. "Mohammed Ali lives on in the form of a Sheffield Yemeni lad. A proud and fierce British Arab. He will knock your socks off! You won't believe your eyes!". I was a believer, you see. So was Adidas who put together an awesome ad to add to the hype. And so was Home Box Office who made a huge deal of his first fight in the States, a couple of years back. We all sat back ready to enjoy the show. Schoolgirls clubbed up for the Sky money and stayed up in parties thrown across England. He somersaults into the ring and the fighting starts.

Cut to today. Feb 2000. The boy wonder is worth millions. He's happily married and dotes on his son Sami. He's got all the trappings and the trimmings. 25 years old. 32 bouts. 32 wins. Bentleys, Astons, Porsches and Ferraris. National hero in his folks' home country, Yemen. Brendan Ingle, the man who brought him through the ranks is now replaced by his brother Raith and the fights are getting fewer and further between. As are the knockouts. Kevin Kelley knocked some of the shine off him back in that American debut in Christmas '97. Wayne McCullough took him all the way to points. Paul Ingle push him to an 11th round stoppage. The bout with Mexican Cezar Soto was pretty close to wrestling and did nothing to convince the American public that Hamed is the man to watch.

March 11th 2000 was going to change all that. The fight with former super-bantamweight champion Junior Jones would have put the man right back onto American screens. Jones stalled. Then baulked. The fight was off. Now the Hamed camp is chasing a replacement and it's touch and go whether the Olympia gig will go ahead.

Several contenders are emerging, with South African Vuyani Bungu of South Africa looking most likely. All very well but not exactly likely to get the Naz Army flocking down to West London. Fellow Yorkshireman Paul Ingle was originally on the undercard defending his IBF featherweight title against a former Hamed opponent, the American Kevin Kelley. Now, though, it's reported on the back pages that Ingle is now more interested in a mandatory defence against Vuyani Bungu himself! Bungu is in for a pay-day one way or the other, methinks. Odds are still good on a Hamed/Ingle rematch, and this would most definitely bring the British crowds back. I'd go. As would half of Yorkshire. But it's the Americans Hamed and his crowd have their eye on. Kevin Kelley is an option, if only to wipe away the memories of December '97 and that less than glorious American debut.

But there's another face in the pack. The number one challenger for the WBO crown - and the WBO are insisting on a mandatory defence - is that Welshman again. Steve Robinson is itching to prove himself after the humbling of '97 and is talking up his chances if Ingle doesn't step in. Robinson recently told the Wales On Sunday that he thinks that Naseem is on the decline and that he's done his homework. A rematch would be fascinating if only to show just how much Hamed's approach has matured. Back in '97 Robinson seemed guilty of sticking to basic moves and not taking into account Hamed's strengths. Now, well it remains to be seen if Steve Robinson is as sharp as he was back in the Arms Park.

Whoever takes he takes on this is a huge fight for Naseem, for Sky Box Office (who are struggling to keep peoples' interest in an increasingly tarnished sport) and for Boxing itself. We still haven't stopped laughing at the fact that the TV companies won't allow a Tyson/Lewis match-up. Imagine the viewing figures! What a farce. Prince Naseem Hamed may have the belts but the sport is on the ropes. Here is real chance to box clever and win our hearts once again.

I still believe! Can I get a witness?

Roy Stone_______________________________________________________

PS - Naseem, that Hoyland graffiti was a disgrace. The town loves you!