The former world champion says a new film about his life is largely fabricated

Prince Naseem Hamed has launched a fierce attack on a new Hollywood film based on his life, dismissing the production as largely fictional and accusing its makers of rewriting his personal history.

The British boxing icon, who rose to global fame in the 1990s with his flamboyant ring entrances and devastating power, said the film Giant bears little resemblance to reality. According to Hamed, between 80 and 90 per cent of the story presented on screen is entirely made up.

The biopic, which arrived in cinemas this week, focuses heavily on Hamed’s relationship with his long-time trainer Brendan Ingle, charting their rise together and the eventual breakdown of their partnership. It stars Pierce Brosnan as Ingle and presents the split as a deeply personal betrayal. Hamed, however, says that the portrayal is misleading and unfair.

Speaking after watching the finished film for the first time, Hamed said he had no involvement in the production process and was not consulted while the script was being developed. He claimed he only saw the completed movie once it was already finished, leaving him shocked by how his life and decisions were represented.

He said watching the film was difficult, not because it revisited painful memories, but because it told a story he did not recognise as his own. Hamed insisted that key moments were scripted for dramatic effect rather than accuracy, creating a version of events that suited the narrative rather than the truth.

One of his strongest criticisms concerned how the film depicts his separation from Ingle. In Giant, the split is framed as the result of Hamed mistreating his trainer. The boxer strongly rejected that interpretation, arguing that the partnership collapsed due to financial disagreements, not personal cruelty.

Hamed said the film wrongly suggests he acted dishonourably, when in his view the breakdown was driven by disputes over money. He claimed that Ingle’s demands became excessive and that negotiations over fees ultimately caused the relationship to unravel. Hamed added that ambition and greed, rather than loyalty or respect, were at the heart of the conflict.

He also criticised the filmmakers for relying on accounts from Ingle’s son instead of speaking to him directly. According to Hamed, this decision skewed the story and ensured his side of events was never properly represented.

The former featherweight champion became Britain’s youngest world title holder in 1995 and went on to become one of the most recognisable figures in boxing history. His career, defined by spectacular knockouts and outspoken confidence, made him a natural subject for a cinematic retelling. However, Hamed believes the film sacrifices truth for drama.

Despite attending the premiere, Hamed made it clear he does not endorse the film and feels his legacy has been distorted. He said that while he understands films require storytelling, there is a line between interpretation and invention that, in his view, Giant has crossed.

For Hamed, the issue is not criticism, but accuracy. He maintains that his life, successes and failures are compelling enough without being rewritten, and that the version shown on screen does not reflect the man he was, or the career he built.