Chat Transcript
CBS SportsLine.com
April 5, 2001

Hamed has a record of 35-0 with 31 KOs. (Allsport)

World Featherweight Champion Prince Naseem Hamed took your questions about his upcoming fight against Marco Antonio Barrera.

Hamed, 27 years old, is the world's No. 1 ranked undefeated featherweight fighter. He has a record of 35-0 with 31 KOs and has been a three time world champion. He has 31 undisputed fights with almost half of them ending in under two rounds. He won his first title (WBO featherweight) in 1995 against Steve Robinson.

Hamed has set himself apart from his other fighters by his unique showmanship. He dances, wears leopard-print shorts and does a flip upon entering the ring. Chat transcript below.

Prince Naseem Hamed: I want to give my respects to the people who are interested in me and my fight. I wish you great respects!

Question: With the fight 2 days away, what are you concentrating on now?

Prince Naseem Hamed: I have been busy organizing the media and the press interviews. I am working on getting these out of the way and then getting focused and ready with the preparations and routines I normally do before the fight.

Question: Describe your fighting style in the ring as a boxer?

Prince Naseem Hamed: My style is unusual, unorthodox. I would say a combination of punches and uppercuts from left to right that are unbelievable. I am athletic with good balance in the ring. My defense is really my athleticism as well as the knockout power with the beautiful punches I deliver in a devastating fashion! I am just an all around good fighter, if I do say so myself!

Question: Is it true you are going to abandon your dramatic entrances?

Prince Naseem Hamed: I am not going to abandon them. What I said was that I was going to tone it down. But I thought to myself "HOW CAN I? " This is Vegas. Larger than life with flamboyant characters. It screams out for my type of entrance. It was MADE for my type of entrance. So I am not going to abandon them. Not for now, anyway!

Question: Prince, will your entrance be big?

Prince Naseem Hamed: It will be a big entrance. There will be illusions, magic, theatre.. There will be flights! Music will be unbelievable. The pyros, the fire, the lights.. the whole thing! It is one of those things you cannot miss!

Question: Did pro wrestling have a great deal of influence on your interviews and ring entrances?

Prince Naseem Hamed: Not in any way or form. I have never really watched it. Never was a fan of wrestling and never had any inspiration from wrestling. The creativity of my entrances comes from me.

Question: How you going to handle Barrera's power(left hook)?

Prince Naseem Hamed: Well.. the training I have been doing in camp in Palm Springs.. and the power shots I have been throwing will surprise Barrera. As for his power, I have been training so hard I am ready for anything from him. Left hooks, right hooks.. whatever he wants to throw.

Question: Do you feel the pro Mexican crowd in Vegas will be a problem?

Prince Naseem Hamed: I have fought in places where I have hated it. Hated where I fought. I remember Cardiff in 1995. 20,000 people rooted for Steve Robinson in my first title fight. They were swearing and cursing at me. It just made me stronger. I turned it into energy and it made be stronger and bigger!

Question: Where would you rank yourself among the all timers in the division?

Prince Naseem Hamed: I would say I would be up there.. one of the best. I would say some of the top featherweights are people like Sanchez, Willie Pep, Gomez. These are major fighters. I see myself like some of these greats.

Question: Regardless of weight class... pick two fighters, past or present, you would have like to have gone toe-to-toe with.

Prince Naseem Hamed: That is a good question! I would have loved to have faced Wilfredo Gomez, Salvador Sanchez or Willie Pep. They are really considered the best ones.

Question: Who were your boxing heroes, as in, who got you interested in the sport?

Prince Naseem Hamed: Muhammad Ali is my boxing hero. Watching those fights left a big impression on my mind. He was the biggest boxing idol for me. I started training at 7 and a half years old so that left a lot of impressions on me. But my real hero is my father. Who supported me and encouraged me and still does. He and my mother.

Question: After this fight, assuming you win it, what is going to be your next conquest?

Prince Naseem Hamed: My next conquest? I will look at Eric Morales. He is who I want next. Or Tapia. Either of them. Preferably Morales.

Question: Will you ever be in a movie?

Prince Naseem Hamed: I am just actually going to do a scene in "Ocean 11" with Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia. In fact I am going down there in about 45 minutes to do it. It is a short appearance but any appearance with her is major!

Question: Describe what it's like having Judge Mills Lane as your boxing promoter?

Prince Naseem Hamed: Mills Lane is one of these characters who are larger than life. He is a sweet man and I like him a lot. He used to think I was arrogant and a bit of a showman but we have gelled well. He is a good promoter and knows the game. In the boxing game for over 30 years. I respect him dearly and we get along very well.

Question: How do you like appearing on talk shows like Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien?

Prince Naseem Hamed: I really enjoyed doing the Jay Leno show. He invited me back. I enjoyed Conan and he is a friend of mine. They are all fun guys to be around and you get to meet the other guests, which is good.

Question: Prince, what do you do for fun when you're not training?

Prince Naseem Hamed: I love to go out with my wife and kids. I have two kids Sami and Adam. I also like to play pool and listen to music. I go to movies. All the things that normal people like me do!

Question: Do you think Barrera is the most powerful boxer you will fight

Prince Naseem Hamed: A lot of people underestimated Sanchez, the last fighter I fought. He was tough with fantastic punching power. I believe Barrera is one of the hardest punching featherweights but nobody -- and I mean NOBODY -- can punch like the Prince. I can knock him out with either hand. Barrera hits very hard but not as hard as The Prince!

Question: Are you making any predictions for the fight with Barrera?

Prince Naseem Hamed: Insha-Allah (with God's Will) I will win and beat him. I don't like to make predications but with God's Will I will beat him convincingly.

Question: Describe what it's like being The Featherweight Champion of the World?

Prince Naseem Hamed: It is a very good feeling. A feeling that gives me confidence because there are people who look up to me and say I give them confidence. People write to the fan club and tell me that. My fans tell me that they look for me for confidence when I am in the ring. But that is just in the ring. I am a humble person who was raised by good and wonderful parents. There is a difference between arrogance and super confidence and when I am in the ring I am super confident and I shout and jump and do what is needed to pump myself up and pump my fans up. I want people to know that this is the biggest fight of my life. The kind of fight that only someone who is demented would miss! They would have to be crazy to miss it.. and it will be on TVKO on Pay Per View. It will be the most explosive, mean , toughest, grueling, enduring fight I have ever been in. I would recommend to everyone out there that if you want to see something real and tough, tune in and watch the fight.

Prince Naseem Hamed: I want to give my respects to all of you who wrote in. There is one person I want to say hello to.. Morris Corre who looks after me in training camp. Goodnight!