Naseem Hamed thinks his fighter will be a world champ inside three years
Former world champion Naseem Hamed thinks he’s found another in Commonwealth Games gold medalist: Callum Johnson.
According to Hamed, Johnson will be a world champion "within three years."
The light heavyweight will be making his professional debut next month on the undercard of an event headlined by Ricky Burns.
"Callum is a breath of fresh air. Boxing is dying, there are no characters left in it," Hamed mused.
He knows about characters.
Aside from his technical feats in the ring, Hamed was known for his boxing antics and spectacular ring entrances, which included everything from entering the ring on a magic carpet to backflipping off the top ropes for his fights.
Hamed continued with praise of Johnson. “I want to bring some sparkle back to the game. Callum is something special.”
Hamed will be managing Johnson in hopes of his continued success in the ring. After a stunning performance at the Commonwealth Games, Johnson is one of the most anticipated British fighters in some time.
"I'm so pleased that I can start putting something back into boxing starting with Callum, and because I won't be managing too many boxers, it means I can really concentrate on making him a star,” Hamed mused. “With Frank Warren promoting him, Callum is
going to do Scotland, England and Britain proud.
Johnson spoke to BBC Scotland about his relationship with “Naz”: “Naz was my hero when I was growing up. To be managed by him is just great. I always wanted to turn professional but was maybe going to wait till after the London 2012 Olympics.” He continued:
“But I'm 25 now and think the time is right and, when you have the chance to have Frank Warren as promoter and Naz as your manager, it doesn't get much better than that."
Johnson will make his professional debut at Braehead Arena. Burns will be defending his WBO super featherweight title.
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