Naseem Hamed and Michael Brodie: Trading places?

20 May, 2002 - By Murali Para

After last night at the London Arena, England, it looks as though the standing of the top British featherweights might be changing. After being considered by general consensus the world's leading fighter at 126 lbs from 1997 to 2001, Naseem Hamed looked out-of-sorts in his return fight against Spain's Manuel Calvo. After postponing the fight twice - for the September 11 tragedy last year and a back injury respectively - the Prince turned in a disappointing performance that saw his own fans boo him from the early rounds onwards. Meanwhile, Manchester's Michael Brodie, ranked #3 by the WBC and #8 by the IBF - higher than Hamed in both cases - was involved in a thrilling battle on the undercard with Argentine Pastor Maurin that he won impressively, albeit after a few scares.

The clash between Michael Brodie and the tough Pastor Maurin for the vacant WBF belt was five-star entertainment. The 'Mad Cow' Maurin went the distance with Marco Antonio Barrera, so he was expected to be a very durable opponent, even though he was coming in at short notice as a replacement. Brodie handled him with surprising ease in the opening three rounds, hitting him with solid body shots as Maurin lay against the ropes, periodically springing forward, trying to catch
Brodie on the counter. It was only in round 4 that we saw how dangerous the Argentine could be as he rocked Brodie with a series of shots that left him badly shaken. To his credit though, Brodie bounced back well, boxing very effectively on the outside after that. Impressively, he even put the 'Mad Cow' on the canvas in round 6, something that Barrera could not manage to do in 1999.

Brodie continued to hit and move with great skill, refusing to go toe-to-toe with his tough adversary who was clearly frustrated by this strategy. Brodie decided, it was apparent, to coast home to a points victory, not risking anything after being shaken early in the fight. But, as it transpired, there was another twist in the plot. In round 10, Maurin finally managed to get close to the elusive Brodie and, after landing a blow that seemed low, he sent Brodie crashing to the canvas with a powerful left hook. It was lucky for Brodie that the bell came to his rescue, as he might not have made the count otherwise. He had to grit his teeth to win the last two rounds, but he did so and took a unanimous points decision by a wide margin. The only real criticism of Brodie's otherwise very sound display was that he needed more head movement when fighting in close.

Shortly afterwards, there came the trademark flashy entrance of the Prince that brought an uproar from the crowd, eager to see the showman return after such a long layoff. In the opening two rounds, it did indeed seem as if Naz would make good on his promise to deliver the all-round boxing skills of old. Calvo was caught with several hard shots but took them well. But from round 3 onwards, it became clear that a lot was missing from Naseem Hamed. It was, essentially, the same man who fought Barrera and lost so badly. The only difference was that he was in with Manuel Calvo, not Barrera. That meant he was not punished for his mistakes and his defensive weaknesses as ruthlessly and brilliantly as he was before. Calvo, former European champ, did connect occasionally, but Hamed's awkward stance and movement saved him from anything more than that.

The crowd clearly expected more from the 'Natural born thriller'. While Hamed did win rounds comfortably, his work was sparse and ineffective from round 3 onwards. Although Calvo had never been stopped, this was no excuse for the substandard showing. You only had to listen to the booing from round 4 onwards. In strictly boxing terms, Hamed's power was still intact. But his speed and reflexes were greatly diminished from what they were. There was no snap or pace there. By the same token, there were no combinations. We know he has been away for 13 months, but it was as if all his confidence had drained away, so that he was a shell of what he was. Round after round passed with nothing new, save more booing. Eventually, Naseem Hamed did secure a unanimous points decision by a very wide margin, but somehow that seemed beside the point. He was not what he once was or, I fancy, what he could still be. Not by a long way.

Naseem Hamed back on top of the world

by James Whyman

Naseem Hamed won the vacant IBO featherweight last night in an unconvincing comeback after his defeat to Marco Antonio Barrera in April. The controversial triumph was decided on points, yet even if the judge's decision proclaimed Naz as the winner, the fans were less convinced.

The "Fresh Prince" may have won the belt, but the shouts of "what a load of rubbish" from the crowd echoed around the stadium before many fans up and left. Those who believe that Hamed had been working on a new style of fighting may have proven their theory, as Naz avoided punches by moving back on his feet, rather than jerking his head back like the Naz of old.

It may seem that Naz wanted to show he was not just a showman, as his usually extravagant method of entrance was left out as he danced to the ring instead of flying carpet, and his summersault was also forgotten as the little Prince stepped in through the ropes.

It would seem that the Barrera fight may have knocked Hameds self-belief and confidence, for if Naz had been fighting Tapia or even the British Champion Scott Harrison, he may have been less successful. Surely Harrison would have been encouraged by Naz's sloppy footwork, and lack of timing.

In the 12th and final round, the chant of "What a load of rubbish" echoed around the London arena and the unimpressed fans began to leave as early as the 10th round. A ringside fan ran in to the ring, which received a roar from the crowd, but was disposed of by security, yet this was much more entertaining than the fight itself.

After the fight Naz told that Calvo got "a beating and a half" and proclaimed that he himself showed "good ability".

In response to the boos, Naseem said that the crowd "didn't know the craft and art of boxing". He also stated that Manuel Calvo had a "good chin" but was "easy" and "wasn't in the fight".

The new IBO featherweight champion expressed a genuine request for a fight with Barrera or Tapia even as soon as 2months time. Self-delusion or self-confidence, Naseem fought like an ordinary fighter, not like the "old business" we are used to. It will be interesting to see what will unfold in the next few months