It’s always a great thing to see an arrogant and unsportsmanlike competitor taken out: The disastrous defeat of Prince Naseem Hamed made the audience gloat | HO

On April 7, 2001, a rare pay-per-view event featuring lower weight category boxers Marco Antonio Barrera and Naseem Hamed captured public interest, leading HBO to broadcast the fight. Despite the considerable price of $40 per view, 310,000 pay-per-view tickets were sold, making the Barrera-Hamed fight the most successful featherweight bout in pay-per-view history.

Barrera entered the bout as a 3-1 underdog despite being on red-hot form. A year earlier, “The Baby Faced Assassin” had fought the fight of his life against bitter Mexican foe Erik Morales and was deemed very unlucky to drop a split decision. He’d won three fights since and was fully confident of bursting The Prince’s bubble. However, the oddsmakers were clearly swung by Hamed’s power and unbeaten record.

Hamed, who was making his Las Vegas debut, was shaken up in the opening round and could never get a serious foothold. Barrera surprised everyone by imposing his boxing skills on the Sheffield-born power-puncher. The Mexican’s skillset and accuracy were dazzling at times, and even a final-round point deduction for bouncing his opponent’s face off a turnbuckle could not change the inevitable.

Naseem Hamed entered the fight as the favorite, with pre-match odds in his favor and a guaranteed fee of $8.5 million, making him one of Britain’s highest-paid boxers at the time. Hamed aimed to elevate featherweight fees and emulate Muhammad Ali’s impact on boxing with his showmanship and athleticism.

Barrera, on the other hand, was considered a veteran despite being the same age as Hamed. His career trajectory differed, with a longer professional tenure and a significant stylistic shift following defeats to Junior Jones. Despite being seen as the underdog, Barrera’s approach evolved, incorporating elements of classic boxing.

The fight itself showcased Barrera’s strategic prowess and tactical endurance. Despite early attempts by Hamed to unsettle Barrera, the Mexican remained composed and capitalized on his opponent’s mistakes. Barrera’s counterpunching and defensive maneuvers frustrated Hamed, leading to a unanimous decision victory for Barrera.

While Hamed initially downplayed Barrera’s threat, the fight marked a turning point in both boxers’ careers. Barrera’s victory propelled him to new heights, while Hamed’s career faltered, leading to his eventual retirement. Barrera went on to have several high-profile fights before retiring in 2011 and being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

In summary, the Barrera-Hamed fight was a defining moment in both boxers’ careers, highlighting Barrera’s resilience and strategic acumen while signaling the decline of Hamed’s dominance in the featherweight division.

This was one of the finest showings of Barrera’s career and went a long way toward securing his position in the Hall of Fame. Hamed fought just once more, scoring a 12-round unanimous decision over Mario Calvo, before retiring at the age of 28.