by James Slater – Whatever anyone wants to say about “Prince” Naseem Hamed, and right enough he had his share of critics in his day, one thing he was not was a dull fighter. Capable of putting on electrifying shows in drama-filled fights, Naz, as he was affectionately know, often gave value for money and thrills to the fans..
Now long retired (even though the 34-year-old occasionally goes on record saying he will make a comeback one of these days), Hamed is ready to hand over the spotlight to another Sheffield fighter – unbeaten welterweight Kell Brook, the 22-year-old British champion. Quoted in the Sheffield Star newspaper today, “The Prince” has gone on record as saying Brook is the new king of excitement to come from his former city.
High praise indeed, especially more so for Brook as he lists Hamed as his number-one boxing hero and influence. Indeed, take just one look at the 22-year-old’s fighting style, and it’s obvious who he models himself on.
Brook replied to his hero’s comments in the same Star article.
“Naz has said that every ten years a brilliant boxer comes out of our Ingle gym – he says it was [Herol] Bomber Graham, himself, and now me,” Brook said. “I am the ‘Chosen One!’ Naz still talks about making a comeback. He wants it in his heart but whether it is possible is a different thing. With all that money, would he have the drive to do it?
“But whatever else has gone on in his life, he has always taken an interest in me and congratulated me after my last fight. Can I ever get as far as he did? You never know.”
Judging by his last performance, when he annihilated seasoned fighter Kevin McIntrye inside a single round to make the first defence of his 147-pound title, Brook may well have the necessary stuff to go as far as Hamed did in the 1990s. It’s still too early to tell, and Kell himself is only concentrating on keeping hold of his British belt at the moment, and making a further two defences of it so as to keep the Lonsdale belt forever.
“I want two more defences and I can keep it then,” Brook stated. “It is a beautiful belt and it means a lot to me.”
The newspaper article also wrote how Brook wants to fight next on a January 30th Frank Warren show.
A potential British superstar, Brook, 18-0(11) is without a doubt a talent to keep an eye on.