Three decades later: the night Naseem Hamed mocked Europe's best

After just 11 professional fights, the wiry prospect had been handed the chance to compete for the EBU European Bantamweight title.

On the face of it, it felt like the opportunity had come a little early in 20-year-old Naseem Hamed's fledgling career.

His opponent was the steely Vincenzo Belcastro, who had 37 fights under his belt.

The accomplished Italian had twice won the title, defended it nine times times, and had been a world title contender.

He oozed class, And he deserved respect.

But he received none from the cocky Naz, who put him on his backside with his left hand, in the first round, and generally belittled him for much of the night, at Ponds Forge.

The final round was essentially a dance class as Hamed gyrated around the ring, hands aloft, well aware he was miles ahead on points.

It was a tremendous achievement for the protege of Brendan Ingle's gym to beat such an experienced and tough campaigner.

But his mannerisms and brash attitude - later to become his trademark around the world - were not everybody's cup of tea.

When he backflipped over the ropes into the ring, one broadcaster stated: "The ego has landed."

Seasoned journalist Hugh McIlvanney claimed Naz treated the 33-year-old fallen champion as: "If he were no better than something you would wipe off your shoe."

That apparent contempt was picked up in later years, by others.

In 2018, 16 years after he had retired, Naseem was accused by website hannibalboxing.com as having had a taste for "mocking the afflicted.

"Everyone was ripe for ridicule as far as Hamed was concerned: from beaten opponents and wearied sparring partners to his own madcap Irish trainer Brendan Ingle.

"Inside the ring, Hamed would shift from doling out punishment to derision as if flicking a switch - in his first title fight against durable bantamweight Vincenzo Belcastro, Hamed went from licking to lampooning the Italian with such flamboyance as to attract accusation from McIlvanney that he had 'polluted' the ring.

"Hamed was the death knell for British boxing’s spurious self-presentation as tastefully respectful. Almost nothing the Sheffield fighter did was in good taste."

While it left a bad taste in many people's mouths, others loved his swagger, arrogance and crazy ring entrances.

There were "nights when it all came together...when the 'Prince,' in his bewilderingly original way, skirted the edge of derision and gave royalty a strange new name" writer Oliver Goldstein pointed out.

After humiliating Belcrasto, the son of Wincobank embarked on a world title-winning, 23-fight glory streak, which was only to be ended Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas seven years later.

Suddenly the Hamed merry-go-round came to a shuddering halt.

But no one can deny it had been a hell of a ride.

And it was one that many boxers across the world have tried to emulate, with seldom the same skills, let alone Naz's almost sadistic relish in first mocking before beating an opponent.