‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed has admitted he ‘regrets’ how his relationship deteriorated with iconic trainer Brendan Ingle.
The much-anticipated movie ‘Giant’ was released this week in the UK, chronicling the complex relationship that the world champion fighter shared with Ingle, who took Hamed under his wing at the famous Wincobank gym in Sheffield.
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Back in 1995, Hamed looked sensational as he stopped Steve Robinson in eight rounds to become WBO world champion
After turning professional at just 18, Hamed became European champion at 20 before knocking out Steve Robinson in the eighth round a year later to become WBO featherweight world champion in 1995.
One of his best wins came against Kevin Kelly in 1997 at Madison Square Garden when, having been knocked down three times, he recovered to stop the American in the fourth round to defend the WBO title.
But the relationship turned sour between fighter and trainer, with the pair splitting in December 1998 due to increasing tensions.
After the painful split, Hamed would fight just six more times including a humbling defeat in his penultimate bout at the hands of Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001.
Having had time to reflect, the 51-year-old admits he’s disappointed with how their relationship declined, exclusively telling Sky Sports: “You can use the word regret.
“We have many regrets, don’t we. Watching the film for the first time was probably harder than any other time. Every time I do watch it, it gets a little bit easier. This man was a huge part of my life.
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Dominic Ingle hails the impact that Hamed had on the Ingle Gym in the 1990s
“My whole beginning of understanding how to fight, that movement, the fundamentals, that groundwork, where are you going to get that from?
“One thing that he absolutely loved is that whole flamboyance and confidence of it. I didn’t want to do those front flips in that first fight. I was so cringe TV and I didn’t want to do that. But he said to me, do the flips, they’re going to remember you!
“I was like, I don’t want to do them. But you know what, for Brendan, I’m going to do them, so I did them.”
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Check out some of the most epic ring walks from the legend Naz
Having emigrated from Dublin, Ingle initially set up the Wincobank gym in the 1960s to give direction and discipline to troubled youngsters.
He’d go on to have tremendous success, guiding the likes of Johnny Nelson, Junior Witter and Kell Brook to world titles. Ingle died in 2018 at the age of 77.
It was his time with Naz though that catapulted him into the spotlight and put him on the world stage.
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Pierce Brosnan talks through what inspired him to play a part in the film ‘Giant’
Ingle is played by Pierce Brosnan in ‘Giant’ and the ex-James Bond actor feels privileged to have been chosen for the part.
“It was a huge undertaking. I was wooed by the script. I love the story. I invested my time and studies looking at Brendan, reading the books and just constantly living with Brendan Ingle,” he said.
“I went up and visited the gym in Sheffield. Being an Irishman myself and knowing what it’s like to be an immigrant and come to England when I was 11 years of age in 1964, trying to assimilate, trying to fit in, I could identify with Brendan trying to be the man he was back in the day.
Pierce Brosnan, Amir El-Masry and ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed at the UK gala screening of ‘Giant’
“Being in Sheffield, wanting to be a great boxer, wanting to have that burning ambition, like I do as an actor, wanting to be great at what you do, getting kicked to the sidewalk every now and then, under the bus and then getting back up.
“There was that identification for me in the part and the religion of the man, he was a saintly man in many respects, in the sense that he created a community and an enclave for young men who were rattling around in life and not knowing where to go.
“He gave them that passion and love of life and discipline of life. For me, there was a strong empathy to the man.”
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We’ve picked five of Naz’s most outrageous knockouts
Amir El-Masry plays the part of Naz and having grown up admiring Hamed, he admits taking on the role was daunting, stating: “Massive boots to fill and what an incredible honour to play him. He was a hero of mine growing up. It was no mean feat. It was one thing wanting to get the job and another thing having to do it!
“Four weeks training rigorously, 12 hours a day in the gym consistently. We studied his fights religiously. Because he was a hero of mine, it was incredibly stressful. But we got there. I’m so proud of what we’ve made. The fight scenes look incredible.”
You can watch how the relationship between Naz and Brendan unfolds in the film ‘Giant’, which is being shown in UK cinemas now.
