Prince Naseem: How disgraced Sheffield boxer leaving prison in Rolls Royce may feature in film about his life

Naseem Hamed, known as Prince Naseem and Naz during his days in the ring, walked into Brendan Ingle’s famous Wincobank gym as a seven-year-old boy and left as a champion and multi-millionaire. The famous gym in a former church hall was close to where Naz grew up in a flat above the convenience store his parents ran.

Naz was one of nine siblings whose parents had come to the UK from Yemen and whose father initially worked at a steelworks in Sheffield before taking over the corner shop on Newman Road. Naz’s dad took him and one of his brothers to the gym because they were getting picked on at school – and the rest is history.

Three world titles followed and multi-million pound paydays, which transformed his life while he fought between 1992 and 2002. His net worth is reportedly £50m.

During a glittering career, he won 36 fights as a pro and suffered a solitary defeat, to Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001. He was 28 when he retired from the sport in 2002.

He was a flamboyant showman in the ring, and became part of British boxing royalty. Outside the ring he led an extravagant life, and enjoyed his wealth – living in multi-million pound homes, mixing with celebrities and driving flash cars.

In his prime he was a global superstar, but his success came crashing down around him in 2005 when he was involved in a near-fatal crash on Ringinglow Road while driving his £320,000 at 90mph. He smashed head-on into another vehicle, leaving the driver with every major bone in his body broken, during an overtaking manoeuvre.

In 2006, Naz received a 15 month custodial sentence and a four-year driving ban after pleading guilty to dangerous driving. With a biopic about his life in the offing, the low point is expected to feature.

It may also reference what happened when electronically tagged Naz was released from Moorland open prison in Doncaster after serving 16 weeks of his sentence.

A stretch limo and a Rolls Royce laid on by friends and two brothers were waiting for the disgraced boxer as he walked out of the prison gates to regain his freedom.

He punched the air and turned to wave at inmates he had served time with before saying how “hard” it had been and how he was thankful nobody had died. He missed the birth of one of his children while he was locked up.

Naz, aged 49, was awarded the MBE in 1999 for services to boxing but was stripped of the honour following his driving conviction and subsequent jail sentence.

He has since moved away from the Steel City and now lives in Windsor with his wife and children.

The film about his life, Giant, will be written and directed by Rowan Athale, with Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions also on board as executive producers. Paddy Considine and Mena Massoud will be starring in the drama.