"Prince" Naseem Hamed has dominated the featherweight ranks since early 1996. He's defeated such worthy fighters as Kevin Kelley and Wilfredo Vasquez. He has a good punch at 126 pounds, and has often been recklessly aggressive, though lately he has paced himself better and developed more patience. And he's been credited with generating new interest in boxing with his 'style,' which means he's a punk. Arrogant and preening, he dances, enters the ring with a flip, and generally carries on worse than Hector Camacho. He has an ego the size of New Jersey -- or make that old Jersey, since he lives and mainly fights in England. His "Prince" nickname refers to his Arab lineage.
Much as we'd like to see Wayne McCullough win, that is not likely to happen. Although he has only one loss, a split decision against Daniel Zaragoza in early 1997, he seems old for his 28 years. He normally fights at 122 pounds, the weight at which he won an Olympic silver medal for Ireland in 1992. He was disavowed last year by the venerable trainer Eddie Futch. "I was disappointed in Wayne," Futch said of the Las Vegas-based Irishman. "There were some indications he didn't appreciate everything he had. He started listening to too many people." We think McCullough will be a game opponent, but outclassed by the younger, heavier and flashier Hamed.
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