Naz’s ring walk could electrify Sheffield Arena again
Naseem Hamed could be poised to make an unexpected boxing comeback at Sheffield Arena.
He won't be trading punches with anyone - but he could well be joining heavyweight Dave Allen on the ring walk.
Allen has asked Naz to join him in the ring before he takes on Arslanbek Makhmudov.
It is a clever move - with an Arena to fill, the idea of a return from Sheffield's biggest ever boxing superstar will attract more fans and TV viewers.
Naz was known for the spectacular nature of his ring entrances.
So fight fans can expect the unexpected even if Naz is 51 years old and in has been in retirement for 23 years.
Allen confirmed: "I have actually been in touch with the 'Prince' Naseem Hamed about doing a ring walk with me."
The Conisbrough boxer didn't reveal what the answer was.
But it's easy to imagine Naz making an emotional return to the city that made him.
Few fighters made ring entrances quite like him.
His theatrical style - arriving on flying carpets, shadowboxing in the aisle, and dancing to booming music - was as famous as his devastating left hand.
By the late 1990s, Hamed’s ring walks were major events in themselves.
Fans packed arenas to see his inventive, flamboyant arrivals, which helped redefine boxing’s entertainment value.
Hamed fought at Sheffield Arena only once, on October 11, 1997. It was dubbed the Full Monty card.
There, he defended his WBO featherweight title against José Badillo, winning by TKO in the seventh round.
That night in Sheffield perfectly showcased Naz’s mix of showmanship and skill. He entered with flair, taunted his opponent, and finished with precision, delighting the home crowd.
Though it was his only fight there, the memory remains vivid. For Sheffield fans, that night captured the essence of the city’s greatest boxing export.
If Naseem joins Allen’s ring walk at the Arena, it will echo that iconic night, although don't expect Nas to be too athletic.
Meanwhile, Allen isn't beating about the bush about his motivation for fighting Russian favourite Makhmudov.
"I am going to be really rich if I beat him. If I beat him, wow, I'll be so rich it would be unbelievable," he said.
He told Sky Sports he wanted to win, then go on to another big fight, and then "hopefully chill out for the rest of my life. That's the plan."
