Hamed wins the WBO featherweight title in 1995, knocking out champion Steve Robinson at Cardiff Arms Park in the eighth round Naseem was even more dominant during his first title defence, knocking out Nigerian Said Lawal in just 35 seconds Naseem Hamed's entrances into the ring soon became as notable as his opponents exits from it Some found his antics annoying, but few could argue while Hamed was backing up his boasts with his performances in the ring Hamed captured the IBF title in 1997 after a comprehensive eight-round win over Tom Johnson He arrived in America with a bang, knocking out Kevin Kelley at Madison Square Garden in 1997 and thrilling the US audience As the wins kept coming so did the bravado, often accompanied by increasingly ridiculous ring entrances 1998 saw victories over Wilfredo Vazquez and Wayne McCullough, but out of the ring Hamed split with his trainer and promoter In 2001 highly-rated Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera outclassed Hamed to end his unbeaten record in Las Vegas Hamed's comeback was low key - he was far from convincing in a points win over Manuel Calvo and his future remains unclear
|