Prince Naseem Hamed criticises new film as fictional
Prince Naseem Hamed has come out swinging against the new film about his boxing career, branding it as almost entirely made up, reports BritPanorama.
The former featherweight champion, who became Britain’s youngest world title holder when he defeated Steve Robinson in Cardiff back in 1995, claims that between 80 and 90 per cent of the film *Giant* is pure fiction.
The film, which arrived in cinemas today, explores his relationship with trainer Brendan Ingle and their eventual falling out. “It’s all scripted and – I won’t say I hate to say it, because I don’t – but 80-90 per cent of the film is just made up,” Hamed stated.
He revealed that he only watched the finished product after it was completed, having had absolutely no input during production. “It’s not easy to watch when you’ve had no input whatsoever,” he added.
Hamed was particularly scathing about how the film depicts his split with Ingle. According to Hamed, the narrative suggests he treated his trainer poorly when they parted ways, but he insists the reality differs significantly. “The film makes it look as if I treated him badly when we split up. The truth is that it collapsed under his greed,” he said, adding, “Money is not the root of all evil. The people who want more and more of it are.”
He was also critical of the film relying on his former trainer’s son for information instead of consulting him directly. The acrimonious breakdown between the pair revolved around Ingle’s fees, with Hamed’s team pushing to reduce his 20 per cent cut of purses to a flat rate.
However, Hamed is not merely content to criticise the film; he has plans to set the record straight himself. The former champion revealed he is in discussions with Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg about creating a documentary series that will narrate his authentic story. “Watch what’s coming, because I’m going to do a documentary series, God willing better than *The Last Dance* with Michael Jordan,” he declared.
“Mark Wahlberg is the person that’s desperate to do it and he loves boxing,” Hamed said, viewing the controversial film as an opportunity rather than just a frustration. “I will use it as a springboard to where we can go with it,” he explained. “I want people to know the truth is coming; watch this, enjoy it, and then hopefully we’ll see the documentary series.”
The documentary is just the first step in Hamed’s comeback plans. Having lived a quiet life since retiring in 2002, the Prince is ready to step back into the spotlight in a significant manner. “With that comes a British tour and a world tour, there’s a lot to do,” he said. An autobiography and audio book are also in the works, with Hamed seeing real earning potential in sharing his story directly with fans.
“If you can get on stage and give fans the life and times of your career and make just as much money as you did fighting in the ring, that time is going to come,” he said. “The time has passed where we had a break and stayed out of the media. This has brought us back in and we’re going to town again.”
