Fit for a king
HBO signs Prince Hamed to six-fight deal
Posted: Tuesday February 16, 1999 04:56 PM
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Hamed's first fight on the HBO deal will be April 10. John Gichigi/Allsport |
LONDON (AP) -- Undefeated WBO featherweight champion Prince Naseem Hamed set out 14 months ago to conquer the U.S. market. He seems to have succeeded -- and more.
The U.S. cable television network Home Box Office (HBO) announced Tuesday it had purchased the worldwide television rights -- its first such deal -- for Hamed's fights.
The six-fight contract over two years begins with Hamed's 12th title defense April 10 in Manchester, England, against little-known Briton Paul Ingle (21-0), the undefeated European and Commonwealth champion.
Hamed's next two fights will be in the United States, the second in the summer and probably in Las Vegas or New York -- and the third in November or December and HBO's first shot at putting Hamed on pay-for-view.
Financial terms were not disclosed. But Kery Davis, HBO's director of programing, said, "When you add all of his deals up he will be the equivalent of any major sports figure in America."
The April fight will be the first for Hamed (31-0) since a disappointing 12-round unanimous decision over Wayne McCullough in Atlantic City on Oct. 31. Hamed was tagged several times and did more clowning in the ring than boxing.
The Ingle fight will also be his first bout since an acrimonious split with long-time promoter Frank Warren and trainer Brendan Ingle.
Hamed, 24, is now being managed by his brother Riath Hamed, with long-time British promoter Barry Hearn handling the Ingle fight and probably the next several.
But the boss is HBO.
"Right now the promoter, whoever it will be ... will be working for Naseem, but Naseem's primary financial arrangement for television will be handled by us [HBO]," Lou DiBella, senior vice president of HBO, said in a telephone interview.
"To a large extent we have cut out the middleman," he added. "I think Naz has a lot of reasons to be a very happy young man today."
DiBella said Hamed's reputation following the McCullough debacle probably needed more rehabilitation in Britain than in North America, hence the fight with an Englishman in England.
"I wanted to give the British public something back again," Hamed said at a news conference. "I want to cause the atmosphere and the buzz that I do cause when I fight."
Hamed, who is quick and unorthodox and throws punches from all angles, bragged about his new trainer -- American Oscar Suarez -- and was more subdued than usual, which his brother put off to having a teething seven-month old baby in the house."
"I've found a wicked new trainer that's unbelievable from the States," Hamed said. "I'm so confident in my ability now, even more confident than before. I now know how a world champion should train."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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