Naseem Hamed, nicknamed Prince Naseem and Naz, is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2002. He held multiple featherweight world championships between 1995 and 2000, including the WBO title from 1995 to 2000; the IBF title in 1997; and the WBC title from 1999 to 2000. He also reigned as lineal champion from 1998 to 2001, IBO champion from 2002 to 2003, and held the European bantamweight title from 1994 to 1995. In 2015, Hamed was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The Ring magazine retroactively awarded Hamed their featherweight title in 2019 to acknowledge his dominance of the division and the multiple champions he defeated; he is the only former world champion in any division thus far to receive this honour.
He is known for his unconventional boxing antics and spectacular ring entrances that included entering the ring on a flying carpet, a lift and a motorbike, as well as re-enacting the music video of Michael Jackson's Thriller, and dancing in the ring. Also known for his front somersault over the top rope into the ring, his highly athletic and hard-hitting southpaw boxing style, and formidable one-punch knockout power, Hamed is widely regarded as one of the greatest featherweight boxers of all time. Known for his confidence and charismatic persona, Hamed was a significant figure in 1990s British popular culture; his prominence in the UK made him one of the first British-Muslim sporting icons.
BoxRec-style profile
- Birth name: Naseem Hamed
- Born: February 12, 1974 — Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
- Nationality: British / Yemeni
- Height: 5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
- Reach: 64 in (163 cm)
- Stance: Southpaw
- Pro debut: Apr 14, 1992 (Win by TKO vs Ricky Beard)
- Last bout: May 18, 2002 (Win by UD vs Manuel Calvo)
- Total rounds boxed: 193 (summed from the bout table below)
- Divisions: Bantamweight, Super bantamweight, Featherweight
- KO percentage: 86.1% (31 KO wins in 36 wins)
- Titles held (major, with reign dates): WBO featherweight title September 30, 1995 – October 19, 2000 (won from Steve Robinson; 15 defenses, per the bout table, before the title was vacated); IBF featherweight title February 8, 1997 (won from Tom Johnson in a unification); WBC featherweight title October 22, 1999 (won from César Soto in a unification); IBO featherweight title May 18, 2002 (won from Manuel Calvo; final career fight) — all dates per the bout table
Record at a glance
- Total bouts: 37
- Wins: 36
- Wins by KO: 31
- Losses: 1
- Losses by KO: 0
- Draws: 0
- No contests: 0
- Born: February 12, 1974 — Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
- Nationality: British / Yemeni
- Height: 5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
- Reach: 64 in (163 cm)
- Stance: Southpaw
- Divisions: Bantamweight, Super bantamweight, Featherweight
Fight-by-fight record
| No. | Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Round/Time | Venue / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 Feb 1992 | Ricky Beard | Win | TKO | 2 (6), 1:34 | Town Hall, Middlesbrough, England |
| 2 | 14 Apr 1992 | Shaun Norman | Win | TKO | 2 (6), 2:36 | Leisure Centre, Mansfield, England |
| 3 | 23 May 1992 | Andrew Bloomfield | Win | TKO | 2 (6), 1:33 | Ponds Forge, Sheffield, England |
| 4 | 10 Oct 1992 | Miguel Matthews | Win | TKO | 4 (8) | Recreation Centre, Mansfield, England |
| 5 | 12 Nov 1992 | Peter Buckley | Win | PTS | 6 | Hillsborough Leisure Centre, Sheffield, England |
| 6 | 9 Dec 1992 | Kévin N | Win | KO | 2 (8), 0:26 | Hillsborough Leisure Centre, Sheffield, England |
| 7 | 24 Feb 1993 | Alan Leyland | Win | TKO | 2 (8), 1:12 | Hillsborough Leisure Centre, Sheffield, England |
| 8 | 28 Apr 1993 | John Mic Kay | Win | TKO | 2 (6), 2:18 | Hillsborough Leisure Centre, Sheffield, England |
| 9 | 16 Oct 1993 | Chris Clarkson | Win | TKO | 2 (8) | Ponds Forge, Sheffield, England |
| 10 | 11 May 1994 | Vincenzo Belcastro | Win | UD | 12 | Ponds Forge, Sheffield, England — ★ Title fight — Won European bantamweight title |
| 11 | 13 Aug 1994 | Freddy Cruz | Win | TKO | 6 (10), 0:29 | Ponds Forge, Sheffield, England |
| 12 | 12 Oct 1994 | Laureano Ramirez | Win | KO | 3 (10), 2:45 | Ponds Forge, Sheffield, England |
| 13 | 19 Nov 1994 | Enrique Angeles | Win | KO | 2 (12), 2:55 | Kingsway Leisure Centre, Widnes, England — ★ Title fight — Won WBC International super-bantamweight title |
| 14 | 4 Mar 1995 | Sergio Rafael Liendo | Win | KO | 2 (12), 1:58 | Baths Hall, Scarborough, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC International super-bantamweight title |
| 15 | 1 Jul 1995 | Juan Polo Perez | Win | KO | 2 (12), 1:05 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC International super-bantamweight title |
| 16 | 30 Sep 1995 | Steve Robinson | Win | TKO | 8 (12), 1:40 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff, Wales — ★ Title fight — Won WBO featherweight title |
| 17 | 16 Mar 1996 | Said Lawal | Win | KO | 1 (12), 0:35 | SEC Centre, Glasgow, Scotland — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 18 | 18 May 1996 | Daniel Alicea | Win | TKO | 2 (12), 2:46 | NYNEX Arena, Manchester, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 19 | 31 Aug 1996 | Manuel Medina | Win | TKO | 11 (12), 1:03 | The Point, Dublin, Ireland — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 20 | 9 Nov 1996 | Remigio Molina | Win | TKO | 2 (12), 2:40 | NYNEX Arena, Manchester, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 21 | 8 Feb 1997 | Tom Johnson | Win | TKO | 8 (12), 2:27 | London Arena, London, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title; Won IBF featherweight title |
| 22 | 3 May 1997 | Billy Hardy | Win | TKO | 1 (12), 1:33 | NYNEX Arena, Manchester, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO and IBF featherweight titles |
| 23 | 19 Jul 1997 | Juan Cabrera Cabrera | Win | TKO | 8 (12), 2:17 | Wembley Arena, London, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO and IBF featherweight titles |
| 24 | 11 Oct 1997 | Jose Badillo | Win | TKO | 7 (12), 1:38 | Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 25 | 19 Dec 1997 | Kevin Kelley | Win | KO | 4 (12), 2:27 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 26 | 18 Apr 1998 | Wilfredo Vazquez | Win | TKO | 7 (12), 2:29 | NYNEX Arena, Manchester, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title; Won WBA featherweight title (superseded) |
| 27 | 31 Oct 1998 | Wayne McCullough | Win | UD | 12 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 28 | 10 Apr 1999 | Paul Ingle | Win | TKO | 11 (12), 1:38 | M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 29 | 22 Oct 1999 | César Soto | Win | UD | 12 | Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title; Won WBC featherweight title |
| 30 | 11 Mar 2000 | Vuyani Bungu | Win | TKO | 4 (12), 1:38 | Olympia, London, England — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 31 | 19 Aug 2000 | Augie Sanchez | Win | KO | 4 (12), 2:34 | Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 32 | 7 Apr 2001 | Marco Antonio Barrera | Loss | UD | 12 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — For vacant IBO featherweight title; Lost lineal featherweight championship |
| 33 | Sep 2001 | Jezreel Corales | — | — | — | (Record row present in source table with date only) |
| 34 | Oct 2001 | Derrick Gainer | — | — | — | (Record row present in source table with date only) |
| 35 | Nov 2001 | Bobby Borjigin | — | — | — | (Record row present in source table with date only) |
| 36 | Feb 2002 | Jason Hart | — | — | — | (Record row present in source table with date only) |
| 37 | 18 May 2002 | Manuel Calvo | Win | UD | 12 | London Arena, London, England — ★ Title fight — Won IBO featherweight title; Retained lineal featherweight championship |
Titles & notes
Major title reigns (start–end): WBO featherweight title September 30, 1995 – October 19, 2000 (won from Steve Robinson; 15 defenses, per the bout table, before the title was vacated); IBF featherweight title February 8, 1997 (won from Tom Johnson in a unification); WBC featherweight title October 22, 1999 (won from César Soto in a unification); IBO featherweight title May 18, 2002 (won from Manuel Calvo; final career fight) — all dates per the bout table
- 11 May 1994 vs Vincenzo Belcastro: Won European bantamweight title
- 19 Nov 1994 vs Enrique Angeles: Won WBC International super-bantamweight title
- 4 Mar 1995 vs Sergio Rafael Liendo: Retained WBC International super-bantamweight title
- 1 Jul 1995 vs Juan Polo Perez: Retained WBC International super-bantamweight title
- 30 Sep 1995 vs Steve Robinson: Won WBO featherweight title
- 16 Mar 1996 vs Said Lawal: Retained WBO featherweight title
- 18 May 1996 vs Daniel Alicea: Retained WBO featherweight title
- 31 Aug 1996 vs Manuel Medina: Retained WBO featherweight title
- 9 Nov 1996 vs Remigio Molina: Retained WBO featherweight title
- 8 Feb 1997 vs Tom Johnson: Retained WBO featherweight title; Won IBF featherweight title
- 3 May 1997 vs Billy Hardy: Retained WBO and IBF featherweight titles
- 19 Jul 1997 vs Juan Cabrera Cabrera: Retained WBO and IBF featherweight titles
- 11 Oct 1997 vs Jose Badillo: Retained WBO featherweight title
- 19 Dec 1997 vs Kevin Kelley: Retained WBO featherweight title
- 18 Apr 1998 vs Wilfredo Vazquez: Retained WBO featherweight title; Won WBA featherweight title (superseded)
- 31 Oct 1998 vs Wayne McCullough: Retained WBO featherweight title
- 10 Apr 1999 vs Paul Ingle: Retained WBO featherweight title
- 22 Oct 1999 vs César Soto: Retained WBO featherweight title; Won WBC featherweight title
- 11 Mar 2000 vs Vuyani Bungu: Retained WBO featherweight title
- 19 Aug 2000 vs Augie Sanchez: Retained WBO featherweight title
- 7 Apr 2001 vs Marco Antonio Barrera: For vacant IBO featherweight title; Lost lineal featherweight championship
- 18 May 2002 vs Manuel Calvo: Won IBO featherweight title; Retained lineal featherweight championship
Photo: Mandy Coombes via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). Featured image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/WWE_-_Sheffield_020499_%2817%29.jpg
Record source: Wikipedia professional boxing record table (cross-checked against the bout list), retrieved 2026-11-02.
