Naseem Hamed believes that one heavyweight champion should not return to the ring.
Hamed himself held multiple featherweight world titles between 1995 and 2000 and was lineal champion from 1998 to 2001. After his first career loss to Marco Antonio Barrera in April 2001, Hamed had just one more fight a year later, then hung up his gloves for good.
It is notoriously the hardest decision to make in boxing, especially in the modern era, with so much money on the table to lure fighters back.
In the heavyweight division in particular right now, it is a time of change, with Tyson Fury retired, Deontay Wilder making a final attempt to come back and make an impact this month, and Oleksandr Usyk now 38 years old and having achieved everything.
Another man closer to the end than the start is Anthony Joshua, the former two-time world champion who was stopped by Daniel Dubois last time out in September.
Speaking to iFL TV after that contest, ‘Prince Nas’ advised Joshua to walk away now after a fantastic career.
“Listen, whether he can or he can’t [make a comeback], I prefer him not to, he’s had his day in the sun, he’s done great, he’s won amazing world titles, he’s defended them, he’s earned his dough. Listen, he should bow out gracefully and that’s it done. When he gets hit on the chin, I don’t want to talk about that right now. I like ‘AJ’, and I like Ben Davison even more, but the right man won tonight, the right man with the desire.”
Despite the plea from Hamed, it is not in Joshua’s plans to hang them up.
He is currently recovering from elbow surgery and is set to return later this year, with Wilder a potential opponent but Fury the main target should he decide to come out of retirement.
