Naseem Hamed crowns boxing's next Prince
Sheffield boxing legend Naseem Hamed has announced the heir to his crown
Sheffield boxing legend Naseem Hamed has given rising star Hamza Uddin an extraordinary seal of approval, declaring the unbeaten youngster his heir in the ring.
The 23-year-old from Walsall, who has just eight professional fights behind him, felt on top of the world after receiving the personal endorsement from one of British boxing's most celebrated showmen.
Uddin revealed that an unexpected FaceTime call from his hero became one of the most emotional moments of his life.
“I got a call from an unknown number and it was Prince Naseem,” he told talkSPORT.
“I jumped up so fast when I saw it was him on FaceTime. It was one of the most emotional phone calls I've been a part of.
“We talked about religion, boxing and personal life and I was just pinching myself, it was amazing.”
But it was Hamed's verdict on the comparisons between the pair that made the biggest impression.
Uddin said: “He said there is so many fighters in the past that tried to emulate him.
“But then he said to me: 'Son you are the next Prince Naseem Hamed'. I was just on top of the world when he said that.”
The tribute comes at a pivotal moment for Uddin, who has just captured the British and Commonwealth flyweight titles with an eighth-round stoppage of Sean Bruce.
His flamboyant style, quick hands and willingness to entertain have drawn comparisons with Hamed, and Uddin revealed last year that he had fought like the Sheffield great before he even knew who he was.
“It is amazing being compared to him, people said I boxed like him even on the amateur circuit. It is an honour for me,” Uddin said.
“For him to say that, it is amazing and it makes me want to be the best version of myself.”
The parallels are exciting, but the scale of Hamed’s achievements shows just how lofty a benchmark Uddin has been handed.
Sheffield-born Hamed was only 21 when he claimed his first world title, stopping Steve Robinson in the eighth round to win the WBO featherweight crown in September 1995.
By 23, he had added the IBF title, stopping American Tom Johnson in February 1997. Later that year, he would announce himself to a global audience with a thrilling fourth-round stoppage of Kevin Kelley at Madison Square Garden.
Before facing Kelley, Hamed had won all 28 of his professional fights, 26 by knockout. He beat Kelley to extend that unbeaten record to 29-0.
Uddin, by contrast, is at the beginning of his journey, with eight professional fights and British and Commonwealth honours providing the platform for a potential move towards European-level competition.
The challenge now is to turn the promise into sustained success against increasingly difficult opposition. Like Naz did - until he ran into Marco Antonio Barrera 25 years ago in Las Vegas.