Phase two of Naseem Hamed's quest for featherweight greatness kicks into operation at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut tonight. Hamed is expected to steamroller his 22-year-old American challenger Augie Sanchez in the 15th defence of his WBO title, then turn his attention to the bigger names.
Hamed weighed in bang on the nine-stone limit last night, when his defined torso suggested that his boasts that he is in the best shape of his career are not just hype. Sanchez, two inches taller than Hamed at 5ft 5ins, was forced to strip to make the weight after initially weighing in quarter of a pound over the limit.
Hamed knows that to fulfil his desire to be ranked amongst the all-time great nine-stone fighters he cannot afford any more below-par performances. Tonight Hamed, who has won over almost everybody this week with his unusually relaxed and chatty demeanour, intends to get Sanchez, a mechanical yet powerful fighter outside world class, out of the ring as soon as possible.
Hamed's co-trainer Oscar Suarez said, ‘Naz is bringing the package that he's been looking for for some time. He's corrected his balance and he's becoming more accurate with his punches, he's making his opponent miss and he's got so much strength and speed. He's seen the improvement and he's thrilled about it.’
The Sheffield 26-year-old, who has trained for nine weeks in the California mountains at the home of former world welterweight champion Oscar de la Hoya, said, ‘I always bring drama, I always bring excitement, I always bring knockouts.’ Hamed, who has stopped 30 of his 34 opponents inside the distance, added, ‘Come Saturday it will be 31. I'm looking for one of the best knockouts of my career. I'm looking to stretch someone.’
After Sanchez, Hamed will turn his attention to super-fights with Mexicans Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, and his ultimate target of reigning WBC super-featherweight king Floyd Mayweather. ‘I want to fulfil so much more. I'm aiming for one goal, and that is legendary status,’ he said. ‘I will never be the one to say I've attained it - it is until the people in and out of boxing are saying I've really made my mark. I don't want to be a loser in any way, shape or form.’
Las Vegan Sanchez, 22, has stopped 23 of his 27 professional opponents and suffered only one loss, a shocking first-round defeat to journeyman Edgar Garcia in 1998. More pertinently, as a classy amateur Sanchez beat Hamed's target Mayweather in the 1996 Olympic trials, only to be denied a place in the team for Atlanta by losing twice in a best-of-three series.
But Sanchez will surely play right into Hamed's blurring fists if he attempts to frustrate and bother the champion. Vuyani Bungu did not drop his guard for a moment in Hamed's last fight and was still beaten comprehensively in four. ‘I'm just planning on out-smarting him,’ Sanchez claimed. ‘I'm not going to stand in front of him and try to bang. I'm going to make him think.’
But tonight, in the 4,000-capacity Foxwoods bingo hall, Sanchez's number will surely be up. He will be forced to scrap his intended long-term plans when he feels the force of the Prince's first punch, and when he opens up in retaliation it is hard to see how his lapsed guard will not be exposed. ‘Number one, there's no featherweight on earth who can take my power. And number two, I can not only match him with speed but I can beat him with speed,’ Hamed added. ‘Sanchez does seem to expose himself with some of his shots and that's the time when I'll be stepping in and taking him out.’ (PA)
