An explation as to why two big boxing names never met

[TitoFan]

I always wondered why this fight never happened.
Well..... I guess I got my answer.
Too bad.... would've been good for boxing.

[BIG H]

That's all opinion.

My opinion is that in the late 90s JMM was not a big draw and that there were bigger fish to fry. He had fought one 'named' opponent and lost. Yeh he would probably have beaten Hamed and yeh he would go on to become a Hall of Famer, but at that time, he was just another fighter. Hamed had retired before JMM won his first world belt

[Fenster]

What's even more puzzling is when Marquez was finally offered a huge career high payday he wouldn't go near The Naz.

Even HBO were dumbfounded.

[Gypsy warrior]

Naz in his prime would knock out jmm he was the man

[Althugz]

JMM would have handled Hamed with ease. Hamed got found out when he came up against his first elite opponent and quit. I like cocky fighters and he was good for the sport..but you gotta be able to back it up.

2 years as a mandatory? You're telling me he wasn't ducking JMM because there were bigger fish to fry? Who did he fight before Barerra that had any drawing power?

[Fenster]

Naz was the draw.

Although for the record be beat the WBO, WBC, IBF, WBA/lineal featherweight champions. Guys with "world" titles, and unification matches, certainly bring more to the table than complete unknown mandatories.

As Big H said - Naz retired BEFORE Marquez had even won his first belt (Marquez actually cited his lack of a title as a reason for turning down the Naz fight when offered).

You have to understand that back then Naz was a much bigger draw than even Floyd Mayweather. Floyd's HBO deal paid around a quarter of what Naz was getting ($2m guarantee per fight).

[El Kabong]

Naz symbolizes what is wrong with British boxing....he's all flash and when he got his shit handed to him what did he do? Did he try to prove himself? Did he try to get better? Nope he took his ball and went home like a little punk.....a certain heavyweight has copied this career strategy but another classless dope baited him into fighting again.

The reason many people were put off by Calzaghe? He had a bit too much Naz in his style.

I don't mean to disrespect Calzaghe and I'm not denying Naz's talent I just think that when you let your talent do the talking you get more respect. It's great that guys like Hatton, Froch, Cleverly, Price, & Fury are turning things around for England....those guys are a lot more likeable than Naz who although entertaining was a Chav and everybody hates those bastards.

[Fenster]

Naz symbolizes what is wrong with British boxing....he's all flash and when he got his shit handed to him what did he do? Did he try to prove himself? Did he try to get better? Nope he took his ball and went home like a little punk.....a certain heavyweight has copied this career strategy but another classless dope baited him into fighting again.

The reason many people were put off by Calzaghe? He had a bit too much Naz in his style.

I don't mean to disrespect Calzaghe and I'm not denying Naz's talent I just think that when you let your talent do the talking you get more respect. It's great that guys like Hatton, Froch, Cleverly, Price, & Fury are turning things around for England....those guys are a lot more likeable than Naz who although entertaining was a Chav and everybody hates those bastards.

You've just slightly contradicted yourself here.

Naz symbolizes what is wrong with British boxing.. then you list a load of Brits that are nothing like him.

Have another try?

[El Kabong]

Naz symbolizes what is wrong with British boxing....he's all flash and when he got his shit handed to him what did he do? Did he try to prove himself? Did he try to get better? Nope he took his ball and went home like a little punk.....a certain heavyweight has copied this career strategy but another classless dope baited him into fighting again.

The reason many people were put off by Calzaghe? He had a bit too much Naz in his style.

I don't mean to disrespect Calzaghe and I'm not denying Naz's talent I just think that when you let your talent do the talking you get more respect. It's great that guys like Hatton, Froch, Cleverly, Price, & Fury are turning things around for England....those guys are a lot more likeable than Naz who although entertaining was a Chav and everybody hates those bastards.

You've just slightly contradicted yourself here.

Naz symbolizes what is wrong with British boxing.. then you list a load of Brits that are nothing like him.

Have another try?

I listed fighters who weren't like Naz to show they are doing well without acting like tools....unlike say David Haye and DerriCk (with a fucking C) Chisora.....who spells Derrick with a C? No wonder that kid acts like a dope

[BIG H]

Naz symbolizes what is wrong with British boxing....he's all flash and when he got his shit handed to him what did he do? Did he try to prove himself? Did he try to get better? Nope he took his ball and went home like a little punk.....a certain heavyweight has copied this career strategy but another classless dope baited him into fighting again.

The reason many people were put off by Calzaghe? He had a bit too much Naz in his style.

I don't mean to disrespect Calzaghe and I'm not denying Naz's talent I just think that when you let your talent do the talking you get more respect. It's great that guys like Hatton, Froch, Cleverly, Price, & Fury are turning things around for England....those guys are a lot more likeable than Naz who although entertaining was a Chav and everybody hates those bastards.

You've just slightly contradicted yourself here.

Naz symbolizes what is wrong with British boxing.. then you list a load of Brits that are nothing like him.

Have another try?

I listed fighters who weren't like Naz to show they are doing well without acting like tools....unlike say David Haye and DerriCk (with a fucking C) Chisora.....who spells Derrick with a C? No wonder that kid acts like a dope

Yeh exactly, which contradicts your point 'All that's wrong with British boxing' when you list a tonne of fighters that are not like that. Saying that he symbolized all that's wrong with British boxing insinuates that it's a common trait in British fighters, which the 2nd half of your post contradicts

[El Kabong]

Yeh exactly, which contradicts your point 'All that's wrong with British boxing' when you list a tonne of fighters that are not like that. Saying that he symbolized all that's wrong with British boxing insinuates that it's a common trait in British fighters, which the 2nd half of your post contradicts

David Haye, DerriCk Chisora both have a bit of Naseem in them and the Brits seem to gravitate to that attitude. I was giving a compliment to those in British boxing who are not like Naz.....do you not want me to? I was just saying it's easier from my point of view to like the fighters listed because they don't act like egotistical little bastards.

[IamInuit]

The topic of Hamed ducking Marquez always comes up about every 3 years or so. I never liked the Prince and his over the top ring walks. Everything about him had me wanting to see him get a proper hiding to borrow a British phrase. I used to think he ducked him as I have always been a fan of Marquez, Mab and Morales. Years later if I am able to put my disdain for the man aside and examine it I don’t think he did.

If he was allowed to avoid Marquez for well over two years as a mandatory then the avoidance did not rest with him. I bet those sanctioning bodies loved the sanctioning fee gravy train he brought to the table. No way did they want to gamble that. Why risk such a high reward? In the end the collective steering committee in charge of his career were proved right. After he lost to Mab he mentally folded. Its not as if a money first philosophy is some big surprise. It can’t be used as a reason for someone a person likes and then dismissed as a reason for someone a person does not like.

Also in fairness if Hamed ducked Marquez then Morales and Mab did also at the time or it could be claimed that all three Mexicans ducked each other.

This does not even take into account what can only be described as the moronic management team assembled around Marquez at the time.

[TitoFan]

Some highlights from one of my favorite fights of all time. After suffering this humiliating defeat, I truly don't blame the "magic-carpet-flying" wonder for dodging Juan Manuel Marquez. Who on Earth would want another dose of THAT?

[Master]

I think Naz did avoid him and wanted to make more money fighting less dangerous fighters.

[TitoFan]

That Prince Hamed mentally folded like a lawn chair after being humiliated by Barrera is one of the most well-known facts in boxing. He not only suffered his first loss, but was exposed and humiliated. Barrera not only beat him... he (Barrera) looked angry at times. He put a "man-beating" on a child. Proof? Hamed fought only one other time, more than a year later, against the "world-famous" Manuel Calvo, in the relative quiet and safety of the UK.... then slinked off quietly into the sunset to eat doughnuts and get fat. Giving it a second thought, he did well in not pursuing a fight with JMM. He would've been summarily destroyed. Tragic story if there ever was one.