With a Lot of Flash, Hamed Is Earning a Lot of Cash

It’s not easy being noticed when you stand 5-feet-3 and weigh 126 pounds.

It’s not easy maintaining your self-confidence when you grow up as one of nine children in an immigrant family, subjected to ethnic taunts.

And it’s certainly not easy carving out a fortune in boxing when operating in one of the least-regarded weight divisions.

So how has Prince Naseem Hamed, born of Yemeni parents in Sheffield, England, turned all of these obstacles into steppingstones? How has he become that rarest of fighters, a superstar featherweight, and the biggest revenue producer the division has ever seen?

Big entrance, big mouth, big punch.

The result is a big deal, even in Las Vegas. The ideal match--the master showman in his first appearance in the showtime capital of the world--has excited this city, which had grown weary and blase about boxing after watching one big name after another storm through in recent weeks.

Hamed’s fight tonight against Marco Antonio Barrera at the MGM Grand Garden Arena has proved so popular that capacity has been expanded this week from 11,000 to 11,500. As of Friday afternoon, 10,300 seats had been sold.

The fact that two featherweights are marketable on pay-per-view is impressive. Even more impressive is that two featherweights will pocket around $8.5 million, with Hamed’s share $6.5 million.

That’s as it should be because Hamed is driving this promotion. Barrera may be a highly talented, exciting fighter who is either on the canvas or putting somebody else there, but he’s not one to hype a fight. The Mexico native doesn’t speak much English and doesn’t feel comfortable putting on a show outside the ring.

“That’s not my style,” he said through an interpreter.

Hamed has no such reservations. He has carved out his unique niche in boxing with:

* The big entrance: Hamed has come down the arena aisle on a flying carpet. He enters the ring with a trademark flip over the ropes. He has been known to make a stage entrance that can last up to 10 minutes, acting as if he is truly a prince--he is not--on his way to his coronation.

For his first Las Vegas appearance, Hamed has promised an entrance worthy of the occasion.

David Copperfield pulling him out of a hat? Nothing less will do.

“I’m going to light Vegas up the way it’s supposed to be lit up,” Hamed guarantees.

There are, however, limits even for him.

When it was suggested that, for a Halloween fight, he approach the ring through a makeshift cemetery with the names of previous opponents etched on tombstones, he declined.

* The big mouth: His hero growing up was Muhammad Ali. Hamed has done his best to emulate the Louisville Lip.

“I’m the best in the world, period,” he tells people. “I’m wicked.

“Why is there more interest in my weight class now? Because of me. Before I came along, I didn’t see much money flying along in my division. There has never been money generated in the featherweight division like this. Fighting me is like winning the lottery, but it’s a little more dangerous.”

Asked if he is one of the best featherweights ever, Hamed said, “I believe I’m up there. I want to be the best of all-time.

“I’ve got respect for the greats like Salvador Sanchez and Azuhmah Nelson. They brought a lot to the sport of boxing, but I believe I’ve brought something else. I’ve brought entertainment or whatever you want to call it. I’m the guy who put the sparkle back into boxing that went out with Ali. I believe I will go down in boxing history as someone bringing more to the sport than just two guys getting into the ring and exploding.”

* The big punch: Speaking of exploding, his biggest weapon, the one that backs up his big entrance and big mouth, is his knockout punch.

He has won all 35 of his fights, 31 by knockout.

To look at him, you might think he couldn’t punch anything more imposing than a voting ballot. The muscles on his arms don’t bulge. His neck and upper body would hardly scare an opponent.

“It’s his legs,” trainer Emanuel Steward said. “The power springs from his legs.”

That power is aided by Hamed’s unorthodox style, which allows him to throw punches from all sorts of angles. Opponents have trouble setting themselves for punches they can’t see coming.

“People say the power comes from the legs or my broad shoulders,” Hamed said, “but I think it’s all rubbish. I think it’s because I’m blessed from God.”

With all his big talk, Hamed acknowledges that he may be in for the fight of his life tonight. In Barrera, he’ll be facing the man once tabbed as the successor to Julio Cesar Chavez in the hearts of the Mexican people.

Barrera (51-3, 37 knockouts) is a two-time World Boxing Organization super bantamweight champion who made 11 successful title defenses.

Among his memorable fights was a 1996 battle at the Great Western Forum against Kennedy McKinney. McKinney was knocked down five times and Barrera once before Barrera won by a technical knockout in the 12th round. Barrera’s match against Erik Morales last year--one that never allowed the punch counters a respite--was among the best fights of the year.

“He is the best balanced featherweight in the world,” Steward said of Barrera.

The oddsmakers don’t buy that, making Hamed, who weighed 126 pounds, a 3 1/2-1 favorite over Barrera, 125 1/2.

Regardless of who wins, no title will change hands since neither is bringing a championship belt into the ring.

“Who needs a belt?” Hamed said. “At the end of the day, people know how good you are. I’ve reigned as the best featherweight for the past five years. I have a leather belt to hold my pants up. That’s all I need.”

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Also on tonight’s card will be three U.S. Olympians from the 2000 Games in four-round matches. Middleweight Jermain Taylor (1-0, 1) goes against Kenny Stubbs (9-4, 7). Bantamweight Clarence Vinson (1-0) will be matched against Bryan Garcia (4-3, 1). Heavyweight Michael Bennett (2-0, 2) will face Billy Zumbrun (4-2-1, 3). . . . The date for World Boxing Council welterweight champion Shane Mosley’s next fight has been tentatively moved from June 16 to July 21. No opponent or site for the fight has been determined.