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Prince Naseem Hamed has spoken candidly about the breakdown of his relationship with the late Brendan Ingle, admitting that time has brought reflection – and regret.
The former featherweight superstar was reflecting following the release of Giant, the film that charts the rise of the Sheffield native as well as his deeply layered bond with Ingle, the iconic Dublin trainer who moulded him into one of boxing’s most recognisable figures at famed Wincobank Gym.
Now 51, the former world champion admits the film has forced him to confront emotions he had long kept at arm’s length. Speaking this week, the flamboyant star of the 90s acknowledged that watching his story unfold on screen has been a difficult but necessary experience.
“Regret is probably the right word,” Hamed told Sky Sports. “Watching the film for the first time was harder than I expected. Every time I go back to it, it becomes a little easier, but it really reminds me just how big a role Brendan played in my life.”
Few trainers have left such a distinctive imprint on a fighter. Ingle didn’t just coach Hamed – he shaped him. From the unorthodox footwork and movement to the showmanship that made him a must-watch and even the famous front flip, the foundations were laid in Wincobank.
“That early understanding of fighting – the movement, the fundamentals, the groundwork – that all came from him,” Hamed said. “Where else do you get that?
“One thing that he absolutely loved is that whole flamboyance and confidence of it. I didn’t want to do those front flips in that first fight. I was so cringe TV and I didn’t want to do that. But he said to me, do the flips, they’re going to remember you! “I was like, I don’t want to do them. But you know what, for Brendan, I’m going to do them, so I did them.”
