Former world champion boxer Prince Naseem Hamed has delivered a scathing verdict on a new cinematic portrayal of his life, labelling the film largely fictional and declaring he had no input into its production.
Hamed's Blunt Critique of 'Giant'
The film, titled Giant, was released in UK cinemas on 9 January 2026. It focuses on the Sheffield featherweight's complex relationship with his late Irish trainer, Brendan Ingle, charting their celebrated bond and eventual bitter split over financial disputes.
Hamed, who became Britain's youngest-ever world champion in 1995 after defeating Steve Robinson in Cardiff, has now broken a period of relative silence to criticise the project. He stated he was only able to view the finished product and found the experience difficult.
"It's not easy to watch when you've had no input whatsoever," Hamed said. "You just can have your opinion but it's not an easy process to see all of these things within the film list far from the truth."
A Story of 'Pure Fiction'
The boxing icon was unequivocal in his assessment of the film's accuracy, dismissing much of its narrative as invention. He suggested the creative team prioritised dramatic interest over factual recounting.
"It’s all scripted and... 80-90 per cent of the film is just made up," Hamed asserted. "It's made up on an interpretation of what the directors and writers wanted to get some interest. I am not that person to go through everything that is wrong with the film and everything that is far from the truth and what really happened."
Despite his strong objections, Hamed adopted a philosophical stance towards the Hollywood process, remarking, "a movie is a movie, Hollywood is Hollywood and the film game is the film game."
The Comeback: Hamed's Own Documentary Plans
Having lived quietly since his retirement from boxing in 2002, Hamed revealed that the release of Giant has spurred him to publicly tell his own story. He announced ambitious plans for a definitive documentary series and autobiography.
"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. He named Hollywood star and boxing enthusiast Mark Wahlberg as a key driving force behind the project.
Hamed intends this to be a springboard for a major return to the public eye, promising a multimedia rollout. "I want people to know the truth is coming; watch this, enjoy it, and then hopefully we’ll see the documentary series and an autobiography and audio book," he said.
This project is set to be accompanied by both a British and a world tour, signalling a definitive end to his years out of the spotlight. "The time has passed where we had a break and stayed out of the media," Hamed concluded. "This has brought us back in and we’re going to town again."
