What If: Prince Naseem Hamed vs Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather

This another “What If” timeline scenario that could have very well been played out in reality. Floyd Mayweather was still Pretty Boy Floyd back between 2000-2002 where he was in some really tough bouts just as Naseem Hamed reached the apex of his Prince’s reign while struggling to make weight in the division below Mayweather. Neither have ever been my cup of tea personality wise, but the striking contrast of conflicting styles and egos simply cannot be topped. What if…?

The Pretty Boy

From 2000-2002 Floyd Mayweather was in some grueling fights against tough no holds barred free swinging fighters as opposed to the typical touted posing talents of today. First there was bad blood with Drunken Master Emanuel Augustus, then a cupcake walkover against a weight drained Diego Corrales on his way to jail, then Carlos Hernandez who walked him down hard the whole of their fight, then Jose Luis Castillo twice BBQed a rack of his ribs as he knotted up his noggin, and then the swarming stings of Jesus Chavez whom he couldn’t keep off him.

Naseem Hamed was struggling to make weight in this time frame in the same ol’, same ol’ story of the boxing establishment artificially trying to keep fighters below their naturally healthy weights. He finally retired because he hated having to always lose the weight and had made enough money, amazingly more than Pretty Boy who was not nearly such a shooting star as the Prince back then.

What if instead Hamed had moved up a division to challenge Mayweather during this time frame of their mutual struggles. Hamed would spend less time focused on the misery of losing weight and more time training on the joy of taking it to Mayweather. Conversely Mayweather could look forward to a little guy, only 5-4, wanting to challenge him.

Prince the Conqueror

Hamed was as tough as anyone Mayweather ever fought. He was quicker than all of them and more talented than all of them combined with a style Mayweather could never train for.

Well?