In the ring, he was known ‘Prince Naseem’ and thanks to his success both on and off the canvas he can now live like a king...and coincidentally his home is just a stone’s throw away from Windsor Castle.
Such is the interest in Naz’s story, a film documenting his life is in the offing.
Naz grew up in Wincobank with his Yemeni parents and eight siblings.
At the age of seven, he was taken by his father to the now legendary Wincobank boxing gym because the youngster and his brother were getting picked on at school.
Respected boxing trainer Brendan Ingle coached Naz on his journey to world titles, fame and fortune and we have delved into our archives to find 16 fascinating photographs which chart that rise to stardom.
They show Naz as a schoolboy, as a young boxer and in the ring when he turned pro in 1992 when he was 18.
Three years later he beat Steven Robinson to win the WBO featherweight title and went on to claim the IBF and WBC featherweight world titles during a glittering career in which 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.
Naz was a showman both in and out of the ring. His ring walks were legendary – for one fight he arrived in the ring on a flying carpet and for another he was driven to the canvas through his crowd of adoring fans.
He made millions of pounds from his fights plus lucrative sponsorship deals with major brands as his celebrity status grew.
At one time he was said to have had a net worth of £50 million and was one of the richest British boxers ever.
In 1997 it was reported that Naz arrived at his parents’ flat with two bin bags stuffed with cash.
He emptied the bags onto the floor and 500,000 came flying out in notes. Generous Naz reportedly told them: “It's my way of saying thank you for helping me become what I am.”
“I owe my parents a lot - more than money can buy,” he said.
A serious crash in 2005 landed the superstar in jail when an overtaking move in a £320,000 sports car left another man fighting for life.
Naz’s son Aadam Hamed, 23, is following in his footsteps and won his first pro fight last month on the undercard of the heavyweight world title bout in Poland between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois.
1. 'Prince' Naseem Hamed
Naseem Hamed's rags to riches life story is being turned into a film (Photo: National World/ Getty) Photo: National World
2. Naseem Hamed
Naseem Hamed was the son a Yemeni parents who moved to Sheffield and ran a corner shop in Wincobank, close to the famous Ingle boxing gym, where Naz learned his craft. He is pictured her in 1987 Photo: National World
3. Prince Naseem
Schoolboy Naz was seven years old when his father first took him and his brother to the Ingle gym in Wincobank because they were getting picked on. He is pictured here in 1987 Photo: National World
4. Naseem Hamed
Naseem Hamed, who was known in the ring as Prince Naseem, enjoyed success as a young boxer in Sheffield. He is pictured here in 1989 Photo: National World