a biopic chronicling the career of former featherweight champion Prince Naseem Hamed will be released in select U.S. theaters and on VOD on May 22. The film stars Amir El-Masry as Hamed and Pierce Brosnan as his longtime trainer Brendan Ingle, with Sylvester Stallone among the executive producers.

Directed and written by Rowan Athale, it premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2025 and was released in the UK and Ireland on January 9, 2026, before arriving in the Middle East via the Red Sea Film Festival. Vertical holds U.S. distribution rights, and the film was financed by AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital.

What the movie covers

The plot follows Hamed’s rise from Sheffield, England, to a world title under Ingle, an Irish-born steelworker who ran a boxing gym in a church hall. According to the official description, the film also addresses the racism and Islamophobia that Hamed faced in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s, and also focuses on his relationship with Ingle, who died in 2018.

Collider published an exclusive clip from the film on May 21 featuring Hamed’s 1994 fight against Vincenzo Belcastro. In this fight, Hamed won the European bantamweight title in 12 rounds, which was only his 12th professional contest, which was the beginning of his later career.

The warrior behind the film

Hamed, a southpaw of Yemeni heritage, finished his professional career with a 36-1 record and 31 knockouts while holding featherweight titles in multiple sanctioning bodies throughout the 1990s. Now 51, he was known for his unconventional style, pre-fight showmanship and ring walks that often ended with a fall over the top rope. In 2015, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Following Ingle’s death, Hamed directly attributed his success to his coach Ring that without him he wouldn’t have achieved what he did in sports.

The supporting cast included Toby Stephens as promoter Frank Warren and Katherine Dow Blyton as Alma Ingle. The film lasts 110 minutes.

Rico Verhoeven insists he has proven he belongs in boxing despite an 11th-round loss to Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night in Egypt.

The former kickboxing champion pushed Usyk much harder than many expected before the referee stepped in tardy in the fight. At the time of the stoppage, two judges had the fight even at 95-95, with the third having Verhoeven ahead 96-94.

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Last updated: 23/05/2026 at 20:20

Rico Verhoeven commented on the controversial break in the match after the defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.

Verhoeven challenged heavyweight king Usyk at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt, and despite most expecting a huge mismatch before the fight, the Dutchman came within a whisker of arguably the biggest upset in boxing history.

The kickboxing legend did enough to win multiple rounds heading into the final stages, with the underdog Usyk struggling to cope with his unconventional opponent.

Usyk finally found the shot he needed when he dropped his opponent at the end of the 11th round, and although Verhoeven managed to get up, the Ukrainian attacked again. led to referee Mark Lyson stopping the fight. Many fans – as well as Verhoevens’ team – were outraged by this decision.

After the fight, Verhoeven shared his thoughts on Lyson, who waved it off, saying he felt he deserved to fight longer.

“I thought it was an early break. It’s not up to me. I believe the referee knows we’re almost at the end of the round, whether he lets me go to the target or let the bell ring… it was close and I thought we were equal on the scorecards.”

Vehoeven was humble at the time when asked if he deserved a rematch.

“It’s not up to me, it’s up to the organization, let’s see what happens.”

It is unknown whether the second fight will actually take place, as the WBC has already ordered Usyk to face mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel next, under threat of being stripped of his belt.