Naseem Hamed explains why he walked away from boxing at just 28

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Looking back on the decision, Hamed explained that persistent hand problems finally convinced him that there was no point in continuing, even though he still had the motivation to compete.

“I actually felt like I would have loved to keep going. I would have loved to do a lot of things in the sport but I just felt like what’s the point of trying to do what you’re going to do but you can’t do it because it won’t work,” Hamed told talkSPORT Boxing. “If your hands keep breaking, and every time you hit, you get an obscene amount of pain.”

Hamed said he doesn’t regret ending his career when he did. After winning a world title, making 15 successful title defenses and capturing several championships, he felt he had already achieved everything he wanted to achieve.

“Quitting boxing at 28, financially secure with all my faculties. It allows me to come in here and see you today and speak the way I speak,” Naeem said. “That is a blessing in itself. Why can’t many fighters reach an age and be happy with their careers and be satisfied? I am content from my heart with what Allah has written for me.”

The Sheffield icon noted that his boxing journey extended far beyond his professional career. Hamed began training at the age of seven before turning professional after more than a decade in the amateur ranks, and had dedicated more than 20 years to the sport by the time he retired.

Although he admits his hands still cause him pain from time to time, Hamed believes leaving the sport while he is healthy was the right decision.

Hamed retired in 2002 with a 36-1 record after winning featherweight world titles, saying he preferred to leave the sport while he was still healthy rather than continue fighting through recurring hand injuries.

More than two decades later, he remains convinced it was the right decision, becoming one of Britain’s most recognizable boxing stars during the 1990s and early 2000s.