Four-time super-middleweight world champion Carl Froch is heralded as one of Great Britain’s best ever fighters, but ‘The Cobra’ believes that one of his countryman could have gone down as one of boxing’s greatest, if he didn’t hang up the gloves so soon.
When debating the United Kingdom’s standout boxer of all time, there is no correct or clear answer, with each selection coming with its own pros and cons.
The older generation will tell you that none come close to the likes of Ted Kid Lewis, Jimmy Wilde and Bob Fitzsimmons, but the lack of footage for each of those men means widespread recognition will always be a challenge.
When it comes down to modern Brits, it’s about what you like. That may be the résumé of the destructive heavyweight force that was Lennox Lewis, the undefeated career and longevity of Joe Calzaghe, or the natural talent, charisma and excitement that ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed brought to the featherweight scene.
Speaking in an interview with Press Insights, Froch appreciated the skill of Hamed, but admitted that the Sheffield-born superstar could have achieved more in the sport, if he didn’t retire at 28 years old.
“28 years old, he retired. I think Naseem Hamed could have been one of the greatest. It’s a waste of a talent.
“He made his money doing what he did but I think he could have been one of the greatest of all time. All he needed to do was tidy his defence up a little bit, when he stepped up.
“His defence was all about reflexes and movement. If he’d have just got one glove up and timed it a little bit different [he could have had more success]. I’m not telling him how to fight because he had a one-off unique style, they call it the Ingle style but Naz had his own flair.
“If Naz could have just tidied it up a little bit, which he would have done if he would have stayed with Brendan [Ingle], because Brendan knows the game, I think Naz could have been one of the best.”
Hamed states that he walked away from boxing largely because of hand injuries, which were beginning to lessen his punch power, but others believe that his loss to Marco Antonio Barrera caused him to lose some of his love for the sport.