The Prince and the Prophet, by Nick Pitt

"Evokes our sympathy for the oft-slighted trainer but never blinds us to the fact that it is Naseem who is the genius." — London Times

Savage blows, bombastic boasts, and the golden glow of a true champion characterize Prince Naseem Hamed as he lays claim to being the first great fighter of the new millennium. This boxing dynamo has already captured the hearts of boxing fans throughout the United Kingdom and the Yemen Republic. Now he intends to do the same in America — a quest made more dramatic by his Ali-style boasts and a Hollywood flair that American boxing fans love to hate. Fortunately for Prince Naseem, he is the real deal.

The Prince and the Prophet tells the story of Naseem Hamed's rise from schoolyard fighter to world featherweight champion. Naseem, the young son of a Yemeni grocer, was trained from the start by Brendan Ingle, an Irish ex-pug with a gift for teaching boxing. From Ingle's first glimpse of Naseem in action, he knew there was something special about him: Naseem Hamed had the natural instincts of a boxing champion.

The relationship between trainer and fighter was a dynamic one. "What are you going to be?" Ingle would query. "World champion," seven-year-old Naseem would reply. The combination of Ingle's training skills and Naseem's talent created a boxing genius, the likes of which the world hasn't seen for decades.

Relations, however, were not always cordial. Naseem could be brash and irreverent while Ingle was of the old school — pay your dues and pay respect. As Naseem won more competitive professional bouts with bigger purses, the stakes got higher, and petty concerns about money caused a rift between the two.

Journalist Nick Pitt has known both Naseem Hamed and Brendan Ingle since 1981 and has watched their unique relationship develop. He tells the story of Naseem's career — with Ingle by his side — from his modest beginning in a church-hall gym to his spectacular U.S. premier at Madison Square Garden — and ultimately, in a postscript added for the American edition, Pitt describes the final fallout that saw trainer and fighter part ways in the fall of 1998.

Nick Pitt is the sports feature writer for the London Sunday Times and has known both Brendan Ingle and Prince Naseem since 1981.

Order this featured book
online at a discount from

Website design by JERRY ENGELBACH