- 5 months ago
Prince Naseem Hamed puts his undefeated record and WBO Featherweight title on the line against Vuyvani Bungu on HBO Boxing
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00:00London, England, and another look at Tower Bridge as 11,000-plus Pack Olympia Hall
00:05to see English hero Prince Nassim Hamed take on Vianne Bungu in one of the biggest challenges of his career.
00:13Earlier this evening, you heard Larry Merchant say the consensus of boxing fans who want Hamed's block knocked off
00:19may have reached critical mass.
00:21And you heard George Foreman say great people are always going to be subjected to great criticism.
00:26So can Hamed turn this thing around and win back his once-vast following?
00:33Prince Nassim Hamed faces a dilemma.
00:36His predicament, trying to convince skeptics he's still all he hyped himself to be,
00:41the greatest boxing showman since Muhammad Ali,
00:44even though his own actions inside the ring have not fulfilled that prophecy.
00:49I believe one day I may be called a legend.
00:53The problem right down the line with Nassim is that he set the standard and said,
00:58he told us all that he would be the greatest fighter ever, a legend.
01:01He's going to knock them all out and he's going to be better than Muhammad Ali.
01:04But because he set the standard, then he just asked for trouble.
01:07In four fights since this dramatic seesaw win over Kevin Kelly in December 97,
01:13Hamed has found it difficult to recreate that unforgettable excitement.
01:17I don't want to be getting dropped just to cause an unbelievable excitement and drama for the crowd and for the TV.
01:25I know you're begging for it. I ain't got a problem with your guys begging for it.
01:29It's just that you've got to realize that my life is on the line every time I step in that ring.
01:34And I've always said it's the loneliest place in the world in that ring.
01:37Criticism escalates, both in America and in Great Britain.
01:42And Nass himself has stated that English fans don't embrace him as a champion.
01:47They just want to knock him down.
01:49People got used to seeing him knock other fighters over.
01:52And as he stepped up in standard, he can't put them away in two or three rounds.
01:56He's been made to struggle a bit.
01:58He looked ordinary against McCullough.
02:00It's Nassim Hamed on the verge of being forced to go the distance in a title fight for the first time in his career.
02:08He caught a disaster against England.
02:10He's been awfully confused and I step in the way trying to do what they told him to do.
02:15And in the last fight against Soto, that was just a mess.
02:18There'll be a lot of boos when the bell sounds at the end of round 12.
02:22I would agree that my last three, whatever, as many as you want to bring on.
02:31I mean, I agree that my performances have not been up to standards the way they should have been.
02:36I think I've had my fair share of criticism from the American press
02:39through friends of mine in America say that British press are the worst press in the world.
02:46There has been a feeling that the British press have been a bit hard on Nassim.
02:51We're not after his blood. We're not waiting for him to lose.
02:55We reflect what people think on a fight.
02:58If Nass doesn't like it, personally, he can lump it.
03:01The main thing that they've got to realize is I always retain my title.
03:05I'm a pure winner.
03:0733 fights and 33 wins.
03:0929 knockouts.
03:11I'm on my 40th defense.
03:12And he's still defending himself after five years as a champion,
03:17earning more money than any featherweight in history.
03:19But Nass knows he must revamp a tarnished image,
03:23something he promises he'll address after tonight.
03:26Only recently I've said that I'm going to start toning down entrances.
03:32I feel that I'm going to tone it down in the way that I just want to get to that ring
03:36a little bit faster than I am doing to get in there and do my business.
03:42He's got to the stage that to achieve the legendary status he desires,
03:46he's actually got to do it in the ring.
03:49Perhaps a maturing Prince Nassim is finally listening to his critics.
03:53This time around, he claims to be searching for substance rather than relying on style.
03:58I've never had a plan in my life before a fight.
04:01I'm talking about start to finish plan.
04:06The viewers this time are going to see some wicked combinations
04:09and just a stronger, more focused featherweight champion of the world.
04:15Tonight, Prince Nassim Hamed takes a major step toward redefining his career
04:20and erasing the memory of his lackluster performances.
04:23Minutes from now, we'll find out if Nass has begun his transformation
04:27and whether he can truly live up to his own height.
04:33Well, George, I think the British writers accurately make the point.
04:37He built the fire of expectation, which has made him
04:39not only the world's most famous featherweight,
04:42but a man who makes more money for individual fights
04:46than other featherweights have made in their entire careers.
04:48So, given all that, is he now obligated to at least go out
04:53and try to provide a spectacular performance?
04:55Let's face it, even Muhammad Ali once told me when I was arguing with him about,
04:59he said, look, I used to make all these predictions,
05:01but I never knew what was going to happen.
05:02They just happened.
05:04Then, later on, these predictions, he said,
05:05they're going to catch up with me one day,
05:06and finally they did catch up with him.
05:08But you don't know what's going to happen in that ring.
05:10Every time you get in there, you just hope you come out alive
05:13and the nose isn't that far off.
05:15So you're saying if your responsibility to entertain between fights
05:19may take you to stardom,
05:20your responsibility once you get into the ring is only to win?
05:23You just got to give it your best
05:24because it's always a greater probability
05:27that you may not even be able to walk out of there
05:28and be able to pronounce your name again.
05:31You better get in there and try to win.
05:32All right.
05:34Larry Merchant, you believe there are a lot of people
05:36who want to see Hamed's block knocked off.
05:38Is Vujani Bangu the man to do it?
05:40Well, perhaps we can get a clue from Bangu the boy
05:46because when he was a boy in the poorest of poor townships
05:51in South Africa,
05:52he subsisted on a diet of bread and tea
05:56except for one day a month
05:58when his mother came home from a job as a domestic
06:01with a few scraps of food.
06:04And as a schoolboy,
06:05he would turn away from his schoolmates at lunchtime
06:08and pretend to eat lunch from a lunch bag
06:11because there was no lunch in there,
06:14only the stones he had gathered.
06:16Now he is regarded as the best fighter
06:19his country has ever produced,
06:21receiving telephone calls of encouragement
06:23from Nelson Mandela.
06:25This is a man who is not going quietly
06:28into the London night
06:29any more than he did
06:31into the East London, South Africa night, Jim.
06:34He's also an exceptionally busy fighter
06:36who tends to get better as the fight goes on.
06:40And that's part of the challenge
06:41that we'll be facing Prince Nassim
06:43as he comes into the ring.
06:45Here's the tale of the tape
06:46between Nassim Ahmed and Vujani Bangu.
06:48You can see that Bangu, at 33 years old,
06:51is at an advanced age,
06:52particularly for a smaller fighter,
06:545-inch height advantage.
06:56All of Nassim's opponents have height advantages.
06:59A 3-inch reach advantage for Bangu.
07:01He weighed in a half pound under the limit
07:02and agreed to step on our unofficial scale tonight
07:05at 134 pounds.
07:07Prince Nassim Ahmed would not step on our scale,
07:11so we don't know what he weighs,
07:12although one of his brothers told us
07:14that he believes he left the hotel weighing
07:16about 133 pounds.
07:18Punch stat numbers, Larry.
07:19Here you'll see that Bangu can be extremely active.
07:24He's going to have to keep the pressure on
07:27while maintaining his very good defense.
07:32Power punch is a big advantage for Ahmed.
07:35He's a much bigger puncher.
07:38Bangu is accustomed to winning wars of attrition.
07:41Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer,
07:44Harold Letterman.
07:45The Prince Nassim Ahmed,
07:46Bujani Bangu fight is scheduled for 12 rounds
07:49using the unified rules of the Association of Boxing Commissions.
07:52There is no standing eight count,
07:54no three-knockdown rule,
07:55only the referee can stop the fight.
07:57He cannot be saved by the belt in any round,
07:59and we go back to our normal 10-point must scoring system.
08:03Jim.
08:05Bujani Bangu comes from what he describes
08:08as a boxing community in South Africa.
08:12He once trained for nearly a year in Detroit
08:16and actually lived at the home of Emmanuel Stewart,
08:20one of the two men who trained Prince Nassim Ahmed.
08:24Stewart, I guess, didn't see Bangu's eventual
08:27world championship potential, Larry.
08:29You know, he told me about an hour ago
08:31that when he read in the newspapers
08:34that Bangu had defeated Kennedy McKinney,
08:38American gold medalist, undefeated champion,
08:42he was shocked.
08:43He didn't realize what he had there.
08:45That was before Bangu had become a champion.
08:50Bangu has a medicine man traveling with him,
08:53and that's the gentleman who is in the ring right now.
08:56When we asked exactly what it was
08:58the medicine man does for Bujani,
09:00one of Bangu's handlers said to us,
09:02he makes a lot of noise,
09:04and that's exactly what he's doing right now.
09:09Proud gentleman, Bujani Bangu, 37 wins.
09:13The two losses both early in his career.
09:15The second of those two losses,
09:18eight years ago, 19 KOs.
09:20He's a little underpowered.
09:22At least he was at 122 pounds,
09:24so you suspect he will be also
09:27four pounds farther north at 126.
09:33And now here comes the entrance of Prince Nassim Hamed,
09:37who has said to us
09:38that he'll have a special, spectacular entrance tonight
09:41for his London fans.
09:44It involves a magic carpet,
09:46and then from this point forward,
09:48he says he's going to scale
09:49these entrances back a little bit.
09:52I'm just crushed, Jim.
09:55This may be the end of an era.
10:01Say it ain't so, Prince.
10:04What are you without an opening act?
10:07Do you have any kind of weekends?
10:09You know, I'm justocal.
10:14Hi.
10:16Yeah.
10:17Yeah.
10:17Yeah.
10:18I wonder if he got a good deal
10:47on the carpet.
11:17Of course, his critics wish that the carpet would continue on to Iceland.
11:26Among many stars in the crowd here tonight, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Billy Wyman
11:30of the Rolling Stones.
11:31So if you see a magic carpet on that next big stone store, you'll know where they came
11:36up with the idea.
11:43There's Puppy Combs, a new buddy of Naz's, and on his way into the ring.
11:55So how come Naz didn't wear Jennifer Lopez's dress?
12:14He is one of a kind.
12:33It takes a certain kind of nerve, even imagination, to put yourself out like that and make yourself
12:44such a target.
12:45I mean, after all, the claim is not that he's not a good fighter or even an outstanding fighter,
12:52that he's just not as good as he says he is.
12:57What's more important?
12:59Is he as good as he says he is?
13:01Or is he as good as he is?
13:07He hasn't tripped on that top rope yet.
13:19There's the record.
13:20Thirty-three wins, no losses, no draws.
13:22Twenty-nine KOs after the long string of early knockouts.
13:26He has gone double digits in his last three fights.
13:29Twelve rounds with McCullough.
13:31Eleven rounds before the knockout of Engel.
13:33Twelve rounds in the last fight against Cesar Soto.
13:36He would like to do something quick and exciting to reward this big crowd here tonight.
13:45And Manny Stewart smiling in the background, but it hasn't been all smiles between Prince
13:50Nassim and Stewart this week.
13:52Stewart has been openly critical of the Prince for training on the island of Tenerife.
13:57As you watch this telecast, you can also log on to www.hbo.com slash boxing to chat and
14:04for each round of the fight.
14:06You can stick around for an hour after the fight to chat with Steve Barhood if you're
14:09in the eastern or central time zones.
14:12And our website question tonight.
14:14Simple yes or no.
14:16Would you like to see Prince Nassim Hamed lose tonight?
14:19Yes, if you want to see him lose.
14:21No, if you don't.
14:23Let's go up to ring announcer Michael Buffer for the official introductions.
14:30Ladies and gentlemen, Barry Hearn and Prince Promotions in association with Golden Fist and
14:38Cedric Kushner Promotions present twelve rounds of boxing for the featherweight championship
14:45of the world.
14:47Sanctioned by the WBO, President Francisco Barcarcel, Supervisor Ringside, Hall of Famer,
14:55and former heavyweight, pardon me, light heavyweight champion of the world, Jose Torres.
14:59And sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control, President Leonard Nipper-Reed.
15:05Timekeeper for this belt, Ray Rice.
15:07The three judges at ringside scoring this contest on the ten point must system will be
15:13Hank Adrianza from Holland, Dave Paris from England, and Jose Roberto Torres from Puerto Rico.
15:22And when the bell rings, your referee in charge of the action working in the 128th time
15:28in a title bout, Joe Cortez from the United States.
15:32And now, ladies and gentlemen, from Grand Hall, Olympia, London, England,
15:38for the thousands in attendance and the millions watching around the world.
15:43Let's get ready to rumble!
15:49Introducing first, fighting out of the red corner, wearing white, and wearing in at eight
16:02stone, 13 and one half pounds, or 125 and one half pounds.
16:08His professional record, an outstanding one, stands at 37 victories, including 19 by knockout,
16:14with only two losses, and in world title bouts, he is undefeated with 14 victories.
16:21From East London, South Africa, ladies and gentlemen, here is the challenger, the former undefeated,
16:29super bantamweight champion of the world, Guilani, the beast, Pingu!
16:38And ladies and gentlemen, his opponent, fighting out of the opposite corner of the blue corner,
16:52wearing leopard with Adidas trim, wearing nine stone, or 120 pounds,
16:54wearing one stone, or 120 pounds.
16:55Who, at this time, would like to say something in the microphone?
16:59Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!
17:05Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!
17:07Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!
17:09Ima cha-be-all-Allah wa-sharunna Muhammad al-rasool-Allah, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.
17:16Introducing fighting out of the blue corner, wearing leopard with Adidas trim,
17:20wearing nine stone, or 126 pounds.
17:24His professional record is a perfect one, consisting of 33 bouts,
17:3033 victories, including 29 by knockout.
17:33And he is considered by many among the best pound for pound in the world today.
17:37Ladies and gentlemen, from Sheffield, England, presenting member of the British Empire, the reigning and defending, undefeated, WBO featherweight champion of the world, Prince Nelson Hammond!
18:07All right, Nassim, Vango, we went with the rules of the dressing room. I expect a good, clean fight. Protect yourselves at all times. Nassim, these trunks are a little high. Yours are a little high also. Give me a good, clean fight. Protect yourselves at all times. And remember, guys, I'm fair, but I'm firm. Understand? Touch them up.
18:32Since we neglected to bring our Arab interpreter, I'll tell you what he said, Jim. I'm faster. I'm quicker. He doesn't have a chance. Bungu has heard that song before.
18:52Incidentally, have you ever seen a fighter be given the opportunity to speak during pre-fight introductions by the ring announcer before?
18:58Well, Ray Jones may have done something like that. I'm not sure.
19:02I don't think so. I think it's a first.
19:05Now, if you travel around a lot, you'll hear boxers talk before the fight, even give speeches. It's almost typical.
19:12Really?
19:12Away from television.
19:13Away from television.
19:16Well, Viyani Bungu, coming off the longest layoff of his career, 13 months out of the ring, he gave up his 122-pound world championship
19:24and moved up in weight specifically for the opportunity of taking this fight.
19:29And, of course, he makes the biggest purse of his career tonight because of the opposition, Prince Nassim Hamed.
19:36About $350,000.
19:38A pittance compared to what Hamed collects, but nevertheless, highly significant if you come from the kind of poverty that afflicted Bungu's early life in South Africa.
19:50Paz fighting out of his southpaw stance and trying to land big shots from odd angles, as is his stock in trade.
20:00Bungu is also a fighter who fights at odd angles and often in machine gun bursts.
20:06Likes to get inside, pepper his opponent, and then move back away into a cocoon.
20:10Hard shot by Nassim, as Bungu came in.
20:18Bungu is one of those boxes that you really just got to get a knockout by coincidence.
20:23He's solid, keeps his feet spread, so he's never off balance.
20:28But Nassim's shots are hurting him here in the first round.
20:34Nassim has just got to be himself.
20:36Get an occasional shot, turns, and faces to the side with his straight right hand.
20:44When first we saw Prince Nassim, George, you pointed out how his extraordinary power comes from his legs.
20:51He's got powerful legs.
20:52You look down, you don't see much on top.
20:54If you focus down below, you see strong calves and ankles.
20:58The strong legs also give Hamed a chance to widen out and throw shots from unusual angles.
21:14They always say the punches that hurt you most are the ones you don't see coming.
21:17It's harder to see Nassim shots coming than is the case with a lot of other fighters.
21:21Bungu, being a solid boxer, likes to keep a guy knowing where he's going to be when he's jabbing,
21:28knowing where the right hand is going to land.
21:29He doesn't like reaching out into new territory.
21:32Hard right hand by Bungu.
21:35Snap has his head back, and then there's another right across the Nassim jaw.
21:40And already we learn that there are significant numbers in the crowd
21:46who root against Hamed rather than for him here.
21:51The prince is a boxer that fights with his eyes.
21:54A lot of fighters go by rhythm, but he's looking at what he's doing.
21:59Round one, largely dominated by Prince Nassim's big shots.
22:03Bungu getting in the two right hands toward the end.
22:06In Nassim's corner tonight, some unusual activity.
22:12Oscar Suarez, the man with that red and white cap on his head,
22:16is going to get in to talk to Nassim after the first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh rounds.
22:22Emmanuel Stewart will come in to talk to Nassim after the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth, and twelfth rounds,
22:28unless we are told Hamed gets in trouble, in which case Stewart is going to take over.
22:33Okay? He's getting about the power now.
22:36If he's there, he's going to come, okay?
22:38So pick up.
22:39You see what Bungu is doing already, crouching, moving, making himself a difficult target,
22:44and looking to land a counter as Hamed throws one of his big uppercuts.
22:49All right, second, go!
22:50All right, second, go!
22:54Copy box numbers in round one.
22:56Hamed landing 23 out of 71, 32 percent.
22:59Bungu, 14 out of only 48 punches thrown, well below his average.
23:04This is an 80-punch-per-round guy who came out through 48 in the first round against the Prince.
23:09That's what Nassim's power and unorthodoxy can do to opponents.
23:16The main thing Bungu has got to stay focused on the inside.
23:20Don't reach out beyond his defense.
23:25And Angle Stewart trying to get Prince Nassim Hamed to throw shorter shots
23:29and to focus more often on the body.
23:32And already here tonight, he's thrown more body punches
23:35than we sometimes see from the prince.
23:37Sometimes that's a difficult task when you see a boxer fights with his eyes.
23:43He needs to be out there, away, so he can look at what he's doing.
23:46You put him close, he loses his confidence.
23:49That's why that's going to be difficult in making him move into short shots.
23:54He likes room out there.
23:56And you've got to get close to throw to the body.
24:00Nassim with a big shot upstairs.
24:02Bungu crouching, working inside, lands that right-hand counter.
24:07Kind of gets a little smile out of Nassim.
24:24Bungu's determination can be a great factor in his fights.
24:27On the undercard of Hamed McCullough in Atlantic City,
24:32Bungu seemed to trail in the early rounds against the more orthodox Danny Romero.
24:37But in the late rounds, Romero receded and Bungu came on.
24:42His activity level went up.
24:44He won the late rounds and won a close fight.
24:46Bungu keeps his hands up, throws him out, bring him right back to his chin.
24:54Understands there's power.
24:56And he's up again.
24:57You don't want a guy like a prince focusing on pot shot.
25:13You've got to keep active.
25:14Hit him every now and then.
25:15Throw something.
25:15Power shots for Nass, hurting Bungu more than he's been hurt
25:22in his previous fights at 122 pounds.
25:25He's allowing the Nass to just stand back and look.
25:27You want to get close to him, make him back up,
25:30and think about what he's doing.
25:35He's got to find a way to get inside
25:37without having to be pot-shotted by Nassim Hamed as he does so.
25:42You want to throw shots because if you just follow a punch around,
25:46you're going to get it.
25:53A constant George Foreman aphorism.
25:56Don't follow a punter around the ring.
25:59Bungu has done it for two rounds and survived,
26:01but he's taken some tattooing for his trouble.
26:04And now Emanuel Stewart comes into the ring
26:08for his first crack at talking to the prince.
26:11This guy's fighting you real tight.
26:12You see how he's fighting you.
26:13He's gagging you like a crab.
26:15He's not giving you any fucking room or nothing to punch you.
26:16He's fighting you real tight down here.
26:18Start backing him up.
26:19He got bad legs.
26:20In other words, start pushing him back and torn apart
26:23and bang him, but the shot, the best shot you can.
26:28You're going to make a double jet fest, okay?
26:30It's okay.
26:35Just a little.
26:36Stay still.
26:37You've got to put him off balance first, right?
26:40You are not putting him off balance.
26:41You're good.
26:45And I don't want to on the rope.
26:48What I need for you, you've got to make double jab, okay?
26:54Close the gap.
26:54We did not detect that cut during the round.
27:01It could be a bad one on the left eye,
27:05blood already dripping near
27:08or perhaps even in to that left eye on Bangu.
27:16Emanuel Stewart has told the prince to back Bangu up,
27:20saying he doesn't have good legs.
27:21But that is really not the prince's style.
27:28No, it's not in his nature.
27:29That's a hard thing to do,
27:31but it looks to me that he would like to give it a try.
27:35The seriousness of the cut,
27:37evidenced by the fact that
27:38Umbi Munguni, Bangu's trainer,
27:41elected not to get into the ring
27:42in front of the fight at that time,
27:43but rather allowed the cut man, Patty Byrne, to do so.
27:46Now Prince Nassim Hamed, again,
27:47backing Bangu up with big shots.
27:50Bangu has just got to keep his head moving,
27:53keep his hands up,
27:54move in and jab the prince in his chest.
27:58Stop aiming at his head.
28:00Just to show how out of his own style
28:03Bangu has been forced here.
28:04This is a guy who averaged 84 punches a round
28:07as a 122-pound fighter.
28:09In the first two rounds here,
28:11he averaged 46 punches per round.
28:13It's hard to throw when you know
28:15that Naz is coming back with those big shots.
28:17Now he's aiming his shots into Prince's chest.
28:21That'll help out a little bit.
28:23If you aim for the chest,
28:25you'll get the chin.
28:35Hamed fighting with great confidence.
28:38Already seems to have come to the conclusion
28:40that Bangu can't hurt him with the right hand.
28:43And he's doing like his corner told him.
28:48He's backing Bangu up.
28:50Surprised at that.
28:53Normally, Naz backs up
28:54and allows the opponent to come to him.
28:56Body shot.
28:57Wicked right to the body by the prince.
29:00That hurt.
29:02He is hurting Bangu
29:03both to the body and the head.
29:05Bangu!
29:06Bangu!
29:06Bangu looking wobblier
29:10than is usually the case
29:11and throwing many fewer punches.
29:15Occasionally landing a clean right hand,
29:17but Hamed has been able to walk through them.
29:20Here's a left-hand shot landing for Bangu.
29:24And there's a hard left hand for the prince
29:27who turns around into a right-handed stance
29:30and fires a right cross.
29:32Now back to the southpaw stance.
29:34And the bad thing about that
29:41with the prince moving forward like that
29:44beyond his nature,
29:45if the fight goes beyond six or seven rounds,
29:47he'll have to pay the cost for that.
29:51And what will be the price, George?
29:53Well, you're using muscles
29:54that you're not accustomed to,
29:55nor do you like to use.
29:56And you won't have those muscles to protect you.
29:59No trouble from Bangu's cut left eye
30:03in that round.
30:04Only from Bangu's cut.
30:06The two things.
30:08Don't just stay in Bangu's cut.
30:10Unnecessary, okay?
30:11It's either we're close with him
30:13or we're out of here, okay?
30:17Little.
30:18Okay.
30:19When we go to him,
30:19we go to him and work under.
30:22Don't try and move back
30:23because he's catching us
30:24when we move back, okay?
30:26Rather we stay outside,
30:27out inside,
30:28or we move outside.
30:30Completely, okay?
30:31In that job, all right?
30:33Now, if you're going to pick punches,
30:34you're going to follow, okay?
30:36It's not only one shot.
30:37We want two and three shots, okay?
30:39Now, remember,
30:40don't touch him in the body shot.
30:42Beautiful.
30:42You're working excellent.
30:44Touch him with the right hand
30:44as soon as you bang him.
30:45You're working excellent in that body, okay?
30:47But remember,
30:48I want that job more consistent, okay?
30:51Habu, okay?
30:52We're going to follow
30:52with that hook a little more, all right?
30:54Round four.
30:55Advice from Bungu's corner.
30:58Either get in his chest
31:00or try to stay outside of his range.
31:03Don't stand in the middle
31:04where you can be hit.
31:06Harold Ludman,
31:07how'd he have scored so far?
31:08Jim, three to nothing.
31:0930 to 27.
31:11Prince Lassim Hamed.
31:12And then Jim,
31:12southpaws don't have great right hands generally.
31:15The Prince has got a vicious right hook,
31:17and he's been murdering Bungu
31:19in addition to that great straight left hand.
31:21He can't take it away from the Prince.
31:22Really winning easily on good, clean punches.
31:25Well, his style is so unusual.
31:27I mean, why call him a southpaw?
31:29He's really an ambidextrous puncher.
31:30Very ambidextrous, Jim.
31:32A lot like Pernod Whitaker.
31:33He tends to square his feet from time to time.
31:36He throws power shots equally well from either side.
31:39He's really neither fishing or foul
31:40in terms of southpaw or conventional fighter.
31:44One theory I've heard expressed
31:46about why he hasn't seriously hurt
31:50or stopped recent opponents
31:52a theory I don't necessarily subscribe to
31:55is that since his fight with Kevin Kelly
31:58when he was knocked down three times,
32:00he's unwilling to fully commit
32:02to those big punches anymore.
32:05Do you see any of that, George?
32:06Not at all.
32:07As a matter of fact, this guy's,
32:09I've seen him dig into the body,
32:11and he's sticking his head right out there
32:12for another left hook.
32:13I think a better explanation
32:17if you want to be charitable to the prince.
32:19I mean, if you're on the prince's side,
32:20one explanation is that both McCullough and Soto
32:23fought to survive.
32:25Down goes Bungu
32:26on a left-hand shot up the middle.
32:28There goes that theory,
32:31which I didn't subscribe to
32:33and certainly don't now.
32:36And the Yanni Bungu
32:38is knocked out for the first time in his career.
32:41Certainly never in his career
32:42did he face the kind of firepower
32:44that he saw tonight.
32:46As the prince regained
32:48not just his magic carpet,
32:50but his magic, George.
32:52This was a solid boxer.
32:54He knocked out.
32:55But you can't regain it
32:56any better than that.
32:57The guy is on top.
32:58If ever he was down,
33:00he's on top and a little bit more.
33:01That was what he was looking for.
33:03That was a terrific,
33:04convincing performance
33:05against a solid, professional fighter.
33:08That was a fight in which Hamed showed
33:09that he's making progress
33:11towards some of the things
33:12Stewart wants from him
33:13in terms of being a better fighter.
33:15Now, if the critics
33:16continuously criticize him,
33:18it's because it's fashionable
33:19to criticize such a guy.
33:21This guy has the package.
33:22Well, it may be fashionable, George,
33:24but I think the criticism
33:26is probably making him a better fighter.
33:29Amen.
33:29I believe that, too.
33:30And I'll reemphasize my point.
33:32I think both Soto and McCullough
33:33fought to survive.
33:34Bungu didn't,
33:35and he got knocked out.
33:37Let's take another look, Larry.
33:43Straight left hand
33:45threaded through Bungu's
33:47defense,
33:49a defense that helped him
33:50win 14 championship fights
33:53before this.
33:54At 122 pounds
33:56rather than 126.
33:58The good thing about this,
33:59the Prince did it in his style.
34:01He wasn't going far.
34:02He was boxing,
34:03picking him apart,
34:04and here we go.
34:05Boom.
34:06That's the same straight left hand
34:07that finished the fight
34:08against Kevin Kelly
34:09December of 97 in New York.
34:12That's the punch
34:13that made Hamed a media star
34:15in the United States.
34:16There it is again.
34:18The song is,
34:18I've got to be me.
34:19And if he,
34:20as long as he himself,
34:21he'll get these knockouts
34:22all the time.
34:24Well,
34:24if opponents come to fight,
34:25and if opponents come to survive,
34:28even the great punchers
34:30can't do that much about it.
34:31I agree with you.
34:33Certainly,
34:34Solo was there to survive.
34:35McCullough's just got the,
34:36just got the hardest chin there is.
34:39McCullough's got a rock hard chin.
34:40McCullough went the distance
34:41against Eric Morales, too.
34:43Point made.
34:44His corner was able
34:45to communicate with him
34:46to take it easy.
34:47Take your time.
34:48Keep the jab out there.
34:49He did it.
34:49Well,
34:50it was an easy fight.
34:51And, uh,
34:52and a relaxed
34:53Prince Nassim Hamed
34:54did what the crowd
34:57and the boxing public
34:58have been looking for.
35:03So now,
35:04that sets up
35:05some big-time possibilities
35:06because we are still
35:08looking down the road
35:09toward possible fights
35:10with Eric Morales,
35:12Marco Antonio Barrera,
35:14and Emmanuel Stewart
35:15says someday,
35:16someday we're gonna go up
35:18to 130 pounds
35:18and fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.
35:21What a battle
35:22that could be.
35:23Let's go up
35:23to Michael Buffer
35:24for the official particulars
35:25on the knockout.
35:28Ladies and gentlemen,
35:29this contest comes to an end
35:32as referee Joe Cortez
35:34reaches the count of ten.
35:37The official time,
35:39one minute,
35:4038 seconds
35:41of round number four.
35:43The winner,
35:44and still the reigning,
35:47undefeated,
35:47WBO featherweight champion
35:51of the world,
35:53the pride of Sheffield,
35:54England,
35:56Prince Nassim
35:58Nassim Hamed.
36:01Nassim Hamed!
36:11Final punch,
36:12that numbers.
36:14The ultra-unconventional
36:16Prince Nassim Hamed
36:17landing at a relatively
36:19low percentage.
36:21Bungu,
36:22right there in range
36:24of where he normally
36:24lands, 28%,
36:26but throwing about
36:27half as many punches
36:28as he would normally
36:30have thrown
36:30in that tour of duty
36:31in the ring.
36:32And why was Bungu
36:33not throwing much?
36:34Because when you're facing
36:36the Prince's power,
36:38you don't like
36:39what's coming back
36:40when you put your arms
36:41out in front of you.
36:42And Nassim Hamed
36:43settled this fight
36:44with his formidable power,
36:46particularly off the left side.
36:49Now let's go to Larry Merchant
36:51at ringside
36:52with the Prince.
36:53Congratulations, Prince.
36:55An important victory
36:56for you, I know.
36:57But let's start
36:58from the beginning.
36:59What did you say
37:00before the fight started
37:01on the loudspeaker system,
37:03and why did you feel
37:04compelled to do that?
37:05I'll tell you what I said.
37:06I said,
37:07Allahu Akbar,
37:08God is great.
37:09God is the biggest
37:10because I'm a Muslim,
37:11and I acknowledge
37:12there's one God.
37:13You know,
37:13there's one God
37:14and one God only.
37:15I'm a Muslim.
37:15Why did you feel
37:17you have to say that tonight?
37:18I just felt
37:19that that gives me
37:19awesome power
37:21through the whole
37:21of my bones.
37:22I'm talking about
37:24from my muscles,
37:25my heart.
37:25My heart gets
37:26twice as big,
37:27and I actually said too
37:29that there is
37:32one final messenger
37:34that he sent down,
37:35and that was
37:35Mohammed.
37:36Peace be on him.
37:39What was your advantage
37:41did you feel
37:42going into this fight
37:43against Bangu,
37:45who was such
37:45a respected opponent?
37:48For me,
37:48I thought Bangu
37:49was such a great fight
37:51before the fight.
37:52He boxed everybody,
37:53basically,
37:53and he'd done
37:53such a job on McKinney.
37:55Everybody knows him.
37:56He's so credible,
37:56and I thought,
37:57I want to prove myself
37:58against a great fighter.
38:00And basically,
38:01him winning a world title
38:03and having it eight years,
38:04for me,
38:04that saves it all.
38:05And I wanted to prove
38:06that there's nobody
38:07in the world
38:08that can dispose
38:09with such a man
38:10the way I did.
38:11Let's take a look
38:12at the knockout,
38:13and you tell us
38:14what led up to it
38:16and what happened.
38:17Well,
38:18you're looking here,
38:19I've got him on his blind side,
38:20and there's a straight left,
38:21straight through.
38:22I mean,
38:22and that just took him
38:23completely out.
38:23This guy got stretched.
38:26Some of your critics
38:26here in Britain
38:27were saying
38:28that since the Kevin Kelly fight,
38:31you were unwilling
38:32to fully commit
38:33to your knockout punches,
38:35which may have accounted
38:36for some of the decisions
38:38you've had.
38:38What is your response
38:39to that?
38:40That response,
38:41my response is,
38:42that is completely BS.
38:45I don't want to say
38:45the full word on HBO,
38:47because I love HBO.
38:48They're paying my wages.
38:50But at the end of the day,
38:51I ain't lost no power
38:52whatsoever.
38:53I mean,
38:53being trained now
38:54by Oscar Suarez
38:55for six, seven weeks,
38:57also Manny Stewart
38:58there in my corner,
38:59Manny Stewart being with us
39:00with all the knowledge
39:01that he knows
39:02and the advice
39:02that he gave me.
39:03I mean,
39:03you showed,
39:04you've seen it in the ring.
39:05I worked to instructions,
39:07and I did what I had to do
39:08and took him out.
39:10Can't we give just
39:11a little credit
39:12for restoring your magic
39:14to the magic carpet
39:15you came in on tonight?
39:16Most definitely.
39:18I told you,
39:19I told all your guys
39:20that this final entrance
39:22is going to be
39:23one unbelievable entrance.
39:24But why should you
39:25make this a final entrance?
39:27Why,
39:28if it worked so well?
39:29Don't get me wrong,
39:30right?
39:31You've seen me
39:32so focused
39:33in the ready-to-do business,
39:35in which I did.
39:36Took a world-class fighter
39:37out there,
39:37never been knocked out
39:38or stopped
39:39or put down,
39:40out in four rounds.
39:42Come on, baby.
39:43Talk to me.
39:43Now,
39:44all I'm saying to you
39:44is this.
39:45Entrances aren't going to stop.
39:46It's the fact
39:47that I'm going to tone them
39:48down a little bit.
39:49Tonight,
39:49I wanted something special
39:51for the English public.
39:52I'm in London,
39:53in the capital,
39:53and I always shine in London.
39:55Toning it down,
39:56that's like...
39:56I always shine in London.
39:58That's like Roy Rogers
39:59riding on a pony.
40:01Finally,
40:02Eric Morales is out there,
40:04Barrera is out there,
40:06Kevin Kelly,
40:07who you had a great fight
40:08with,
40:08is out there.
40:09Hey,
40:09Kevin Kelly's washed up.
40:10I brought the girl
40:11out of him that night.
40:12He don't want to fight me again.
40:13He got beat by a bum.
40:15If Kevin Kelly's
40:16watching this fight,
40:17he knows I've still
40:17got the respect for him,
40:18but the fact that...
40:19Well, you know that, Kevin...
40:20He ain't on my level.
40:21I will destroy that boy.
40:22Well, then,
40:23why won't you fight him?
40:24But beyond that,
40:25would you fight
40:25Morales or Barrera?
40:26I'll tell you what.
40:27Let's talk about
40:28a guy that's undefeated,
40:30a guy that in America
40:31is seen as one of the best,
40:33if not one of the best
40:34pound-for-pound fighters
40:35in the world,
40:35Eric Morales.
40:36Do you feel...
40:37That's who I want.
40:38Do you feel that
40:39a victory over Morales
40:41would win over
40:43completely all of your critics?
40:45Come on, Larry.
40:47Talk to me.
40:48What do you think, baby?
40:49You know, you know
40:50once I knock
40:51Eric Morales out
40:52and beat him in style,
40:53they're gonna make me
40:54number one
40:55pound-for-pound champion,
40:57best fighter in the world,
40:58and that's what I want.
40:59I'm looking now.
41:01I'm looking to shine,
41:02and I want the credit
41:03that I deserve.
41:04I've been world champion
41:05nearly five...
41:06About five years now.
41:07Come on.
41:08They've got to give it me now.
41:10Thank you very much, Prince.
41:11You're more than welcome.
41:12Jim?
41:15The scoring of the three judges
41:16through the first three rounds,
41:18identical to that
41:19of Harold Letterman
41:20and probably pretty easy
41:21for all of you at home as well.
41:23Those rounds were one-sided,
41:25and Prince Nassim Hamed
41:26had won them all.
41:28Big crowd,
41:29star-studded,
41:30puffy combs you saw
41:31walking to ringside
41:33with Prince Nassim.
41:33The Rolling Stones were here.
41:35Jude Law,
41:36Kate Moss,
41:37a variety of others.
41:38All of them here
41:39to celebrate a victory
41:40by Prince Nassim Hamed
41:41and the kind of victory,
41:42George,
41:43that he was looking for.
41:44In the last two fights
41:45against both Engel and Soto,
41:47you worried
41:48that with the new training situation,
41:50he was a little bit
41:50caught between styles.
41:52Still a problem?
41:53I think that spending some time
41:54with the extra trainer
41:55away from Emanuel Stewart
41:57may have helped him
41:58a lot more
41:58than you would imagine.
42:00Emanuel Stewart,
42:00his expertise in the corner
42:02helped tonight.
42:03But being out of training camp
42:04probably was the major plus
42:06for the Prince.
42:06He moved around
42:08and he was foxy.
42:09He even blindsided
42:10his opponent.
42:11These are things
42:11that I hadn't seen
42:12in years
42:13with the Prince.
42:13So maybe a situation
42:14that looks awkward
42:16with two trainers
42:16competing for space
42:18and credit
42:18is actually good for Nassim Hamed.
42:20Well, it's good
42:21if they cooperate
42:22and do what he asked him to do.
42:24All right.
42:24Well, we'll see
42:25if they can continue
42:25to do that
42:26over a period of time.
42:27Meanwhile,
42:28rejoined now
42:28by Larry Merchant
42:29and I'll put to you
42:30the same question
42:31that Nassim Hamed did.
42:32Suppose he takes on
42:34Eric Morales
42:34and beats him.
42:36Will that settle
42:36the criticism
42:37once and for all?
42:38I think if he beats Morales,
42:40especially if he beats him
42:42in a decisive fashion
42:43as he did tonight,
42:45that yes,
42:45that would mark him
42:46as really the best
42:48of his time
42:49and perhaps one of the more
42:50exciting fighters
42:51of his time.
42:52But still,
42:53with all of his tumult
42:55and all of his magic carpet riding,
42:59he's an acquired taste
43:01that a lot of people
43:02don't want to acquire,
43:04like kumquats, you know.
43:06But he's here.
43:08He proved again tonight
43:09that he is a real fighter.
43:11Maybe not the fighter
43:13that he says he is
43:14because nobody is that fighter,
43:17but a pretty good fighter anyway.
43:19Kumquats are good for you
43:21and they pack a wallop.
43:23Nass, love him or hate him,
43:24is good for boxing.
43:26And as you saw again tonight,
43:28he packs a wallop.
43:29We'll have a final word
43:30on what happened in the ring
43:31here in just a moment.
43:32Let's look ahead
43:32to some upcoming programs
43:34on HBO.
43:36Condole 9-6-2,
43:37heavy turn left heading 1-4-0.
43:38In the ultimate
43:39high-pressure job,
43:40Nick Falzone
43:41was in control
43:42of everyone's life.
43:43Welcome to my sky.
43:45But his own.
43:47I got a buddy
43:48who told me
43:48this guy was the best
43:49controller he'd ever seen.
43:50He's sort of interesting.
43:53I love my husband.
43:54I love my wife.
43:55Go home, play with the wife.
43:56Yeah.
43:57Just make sure it's your wife.
43:59Human beings
44:00can tolerate a lot of pain.
44:02We work together.
44:05John Cusack,
44:06Billy Bob Thornton,
44:08Cate Blanchett,
44:10Angelina Jolie.
44:11Are there people
44:12who find you charming?
44:13Pushing Tin.
44:14I want my wife back.
44:17Ten years Saturday,
44:17March 18th on HBO.
44:20As the chill of night
44:22sets in,
44:23those with the heart
44:23and soul
44:24are about to turn up
44:25the heat.
44:27HBO Boxing After Dark
44:29is back
44:29with world's
44:30super featherweight champ
44:31Floyd Mayweather.
44:32Now with his title
44:33on the line,
44:34can his blazing speed
44:35and skill
44:35douse the burning desire
44:36of top contender
44:37Goyo Vargas?
44:38Plus,
44:39junior lightweight champ
44:40Diego Corrales
44:41is fired up
44:41for a title defense
44:42against power punching
44:43Derek Smoke Gaynor.
44:45It all happens live.
44:47Saturday,
44:47March 18th.
44:49HBO Boxing After Dark.
44:51Join us March 20th
44:52for the premiere
44:52of Real Sports
44:53with Bryant Gumbel
44:54when Frank the Ford
44:55goes one-on-one
44:56with college basketball's
44:57Bobby Knight.
44:58Real Sports
44:58where nothing is out of bounds.
44:59On April 17th,
45:01HBO and Sports
45:02of the 20th Century
45:03present Bill Russell,
45:04My Life, My Way,
45:06a documentary
45:06that explores
45:07the life, philosophies
45:08and principles
45:08of one of the most
45:09compelling figures
45:10ever to play
45:11any American team sport.
45:13Tonight,
45:14here in Olympia Hall
45:15in London,
45:16you saw excitement.
45:17First of all,
45:18the pitch battle
45:19between Irish Mickey Ward
45:20and Shea Neary.
45:22Neary giving as good
45:23as he got
45:24in the first seven rounds,
45:25but then Ward
45:26loading him over
45:27with left-hand power shots
45:28in the eighth round
45:29en route
45:30to an eighth-round TKO.
45:32Big victory
45:33for Mickey Ward.
45:34Sets him up
45:35for business
45:35down the road.
45:36And another man
45:37who's set up
45:38for big business
45:38down the road,
45:39Prince Nassim Hamed,
45:40who shook off criticism
45:42from three straight
45:43performances
45:43that had gone
45:44double-digit rounds
45:46and knocked out
45:46Uyani Bungu,
45:47one of the most
45:48qualified opponents
45:49of his career,
45:50in the fourth round.
45:51Big fireworks
45:52from the Prince.
45:54Coming up immediately
45:54after tonight's coverage
45:55of World Championship
45:56boxing, stay tuned
45:57for HBO Comedy
45:58Half Hour,
45:59Jeff Garland,
46:00followed by
46:00The Sopranos.
46:03So now for George Foreman
46:05and Larry Merchant
46:05and Harold Lederman,
46:06I'm Jim Lampley
46:07saying so long
46:08from the Olympia
46:09in London, England.
46:11The executive producer
46:12of HBO Sports
46:13is Ross Greenberg.
46:14Tonight's telecast
46:15of World Championship
46:16boxing was produced
46:16by Rick Bernstein
46:17and directed
46:18by Mark Payton.
46:19The associate directors
46:20Greg Backer,
46:21Thomas Erdelfelt,
46:22and Max Siegel.
46:24Assistant to the producer
46:25Thomas Huffine.
46:26The production manager
46:27was Mark Hayden,
46:28the technical supervisor
46:29Bob Hunter,
46:30and the technical director
46:31was Doug Getz.
46:33and the producer
46:35of Bob McNari
46:38and James
46:38and UC Davis
46:39in the comments
46:40and the director
46:40of the night
46:41with Chris Ford
46:42and Jim Lampley
46:44and Richard
46:45and James
46:45and Jim Lampley
46:46and Jim Lampley
46:46and Jim Lampley
46:47and Jim Lampley
46:47and Jim Lampley
46:48and Jim Lampley
47:19And a presentation of HBO Sports, the network of champions.
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