Prince Naseem Hamed has come out swinging against the new film about his boxing career, branding it as almost entirely made up.
The former featherweight champion, who became Britain’s youngest world title holder when he defeated Steve Robinson in Cardiff back in 1995, says between 80 and 90 per cent of 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 said.
The film Giant depicts Prince Naseem Hamed’s life, though the boxer has disputed it as fiction
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He revealed he only got to watch the finished product after it was completed, with absolutely no input during production.
“It’s not easy to watch when you’ve had no input whatsoever,” he added.
The Sheffield boxer was particularly scathing about how the film depicts his split with Ingle.
According to Hamed, the movie suggests he treated his trainer badly when they parted ways, but he insists the reality was quite different.
“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.
“Money is not the root of all evil. The people who want more and more of it are.”
Hamed also took issue with the film relying on his former trainer’s son for information rather than consulting him directly.
Pierce Brosnan stars in the film Giant as coach Brendan Ingle
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Prince Naseem Hamed slammed the film as ‘fiction’ after watching it at its premiere for the first time
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The acrimonious breakdown between the pair centred on Ingle’s fees, with Hamed’s team pushing to reduce his 20 per cent cut of purses to a flat rate.
Hamed isn’t content to simply criticise the film though – he’s got big plans to set the record straight himself.
The former champion revealed he’s in discussions with Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg about creating a documentary series that will tell 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 sees 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.”
Prince Naseem Hamed had an incredible career in boxing, losing just once in 37 fights to Marco Antonio Barrera (pictured)
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The documentary is just the beginning of Hamed’s comeback plans.
After living a quiet life since retiring in 2002, the Prince is ready to step back into the spotlight in a big way.
“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.
Prince Naseem Hamed’s relationship with coach Brendan Ingle broke down
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“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 explained.
“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.”
