Naseem Hamed vs Paul Ingle

On Saturday 10th April 1999, Naseem Hamed and Paul Ingle faced off in an all-British fight at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, England. Both fighters had impressive records going into the fight, with Hamed boasting a 31-0-0 record and Ingle at 21-0-0. The bout was promoted by Matchroom Boxing, with Joe Cortez serving as the referee. The WBO World Featherweight Title was at stake, with Hamed making his 12th defense of the title.

The fight started with some tension as Paul Ingle and his promoter, Frank Maloney, refused to wait in the ring during Hamed's lengthy entrance. They retreated to the locker room area and only returned once Hamed entered the arena. Despite this unusual beginning, the fight commenced, and Hamed quickly asserted his dominance by knocking down Ingle in the first round with a powerful combination of body and head shots.

Hamed maintained control throughout the fight, scoring another knockdown in the sixth round with another two-left combination to Ingle's head and body. However, in the ninth round, Ingle fought back and managed to land several power punches, bloodying Hamed's nose and mouth, and briefly taking control of the fight.

In the 10th round, it appeared that Ingle was getting closer to stopping Hamed, but the tide turned once again in the 11th round. Just 45 seconds into the round, Hamed connected with a strong left hand that sent Ingle to the canvas for the third time. Although Ingle managed to get back on his feet, he was visibly unsteady, prompting referee Joe Cortez to stop the fight and award Hamed a TKO victory.