Prince Naseem Hamed was dismantled by a fighter who’d eventually get inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame.
At the peak of his powers, the Brit was remarkable to watch, mesmerizing fans with incredible skills inside the ring.
However, while he was undeniably a showman, the athlete could also bite down on his gumshield when he needed to. Hamed got up off the floor to beat Daniel Alicea in a fight where he showed real grit and determination.
However, all the courage in the world wasn’t enough to beat one of Mexico’s finest.
WOW: Prince Naseem Hamed dropped challenger with first punch he threw in 36-second bout
Prince Naseem Hamed got beaten up by Marco Antonio Barrera
On April 7, 2001, an undefeated Prince Naseem Hamed battled it out with Marco Antonio Barrera at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Having been so spectacular throughout his career, many expected the Brit to add another scalp to his sensational resume. But that’s a long way from what actually ended up happening.
Barrera had crafted a game plan to evade Hamed’s left hook, making the flashy fighter miss, before coming back with big shots to both head and body.
By the midway point, the Mexico City warrior had asserted his dominance, landing the far better shots as English fans began to fear that their man had no plan B.
At the start of the final round, Hamed came out swinging, knowing he needed a knockout to win the fight. However, much to the surprise of the crowd, in response, Barrera put his opponent in an arm-lock and pushed his face into the corner-post, for which he lost a point.
In the end, it didn’t really matter, as the underdog emerged with a comfortable decision victory.
Marco Antonio Barrera lost to Amir Khan after defeating Prince Naseem Hamed
While the win over Hamed was excellent, Barrera ultimately fell short against his rival’s countryman.
In a highly anticipated clash, he went head-to-head with Amir Khan.
However, his scrap with the Englishman didn’t end the way anyone would’ve wanted.
In a saddening turn of events, Barrera suffered a nasty injury while fighting Khan.