fieldus

Interesting article by Jonahthan Rendall writing in The Observer in 2005 on ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed and the whole Sheffield/Ingle boxing scene.

An interesting pov from the memorable British Middleweight champ, Herol Graham:

A couple of miles from Hamed’s new gym is where Herol Graham now
lives. He answers the door in his tracksuit. He is looking after his
two young children. He is in his mid-40s, but looks 10 years younger.
The scars of world-title wars with Julian Jackson, Mike ‘The
Bodysnatcher’ McCallum and others are not evident.

Of Hamed, he says: ‘It’s all mental, not physical. It’s all about invincibility. He can’t accept it’s gone. He fought the wrong fight against Barrera.
Barrera beat his mind. Now there’s people around him. He doesn’t know
who to trust. It’s all to do with him. But boxing is his glue. He
should have come back sooner. If he’s going to have a fight now he’s
got at least a stone and a half to lose. I still text him. I say,
“Believe in yourself”. But he doesn’t believe in himself.’