Brendan Ingle and the Split with Prince Naseem Hamed

The trainer who turns a raw kid into a world champion often becomes a second father—until money gets in the way. That’s the story of Brendan Ingle and Prince Naseem Hamed, a bond that shaped British boxing and then shattered in a very public dispute over earnings, reopening nearly three decades later with the 2026 biopic Giant from Ingle’s perspective.

Date of Birth: 19 June 1940 ·
Date of Death: 25 May 2018 ·
Nationality: Irish ·
Known For: Training Naseem Hamed (Prince Naseem)

Six facts about Brendan Ingle, one pattern: his life traces a classic rise-and-fall arc where the same loyalty that made a champion also broke a partnership.

Did Naseem Hamed attend Brendan Ingle’s funeral?

Date of death: 25 May 2018 ·
Age at death: 77 ·
Cause: Heart attack ·
Funeral location: Sheffield, England

Funeral details and public reports

Brendan Ingle died of a heart attack at his Sheffield home on 25 May 2018, as confirmed by BBC News (UK public broadcaster). His funeral was held in Sheffield, attended by family, friends, and former boxers including Johnny Nelson and Ryan Rhodes. The Irish boxing community also paid tribute, with the Irish Boxing Association issuing a formal statement of condolence.

Hamed’s absence or presence

Available reports do not confirm whether Naseem Hamed attended. The Independent (UK daily newspaper) noted that Hamed and Ingle remained estranged until Ingle’s death, making attendance unlikely. Neither Hamed nor his representatives have publicly addressed the question.

The lack of confirmation leaves a lingering question about the state of their relationship at the end.

When did Naseem Hamed leave Brendan Ingle?

The split in 1998

Naseem Hamed parted ways with Brendan Ingle in December 1998, shortly after his WBO featherweight title defence against Wilfredo Vazquez. Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster) reported that tensions had been building for months over Hamed’s desire for more creative control and a bigger slice of his own earnings.

• 1997: Hamed becomes undisputed WBO, IBF, WBC featherweight champion
• 1998: Hamed fights Vazquez, wins but shows frustration with Ingle’s corner
• December 1998: Split announced; Hamed moves to new trainer

Reasons for the departure

The Independent (UK daily newspaper) described the fallout as driven largely by “money and greed.” Hamed has publicly claimed that Ingle’s demands became excessive after the fighter’s earnings escalated. The DAZN News (global sports streaming service) added that multiple sources characterise the split as “acrimonious.”

The split marked a turning point that defined the remainder of both men’s careers.

How much did Brendan Ingle earn from Naseem?

Brendan Ingle’s net worth

At the time of his death, Ingle’s net worth was estimated at around £1 million, according to BBC News (UK public broadcaster). While that figure is modest compared to Hamed’s fortune, it reflects a career spent training multiple world champions, not just one.

The BoxingScene (specialist boxing website) notes that Ingle reportedly expected Hamed to earn around £40 million over his career, with Ingle’s 25% share amounting to £10 million—though actual figures were never publicly disclosed.

Did Prince Naseem pay Ingle?

Reports indicate that Hamed paid Ingle a settlement after the split, though the amount is unknown. The BoxingScene (specialist boxing website) confirmed the original agreement gave Ingle 25% of Hamed’s fight earnings, a deal struck when Hamed was still a minor.

The financial dispute remains a contentious part of the Ingle-Hamed legacy.

Is Prince Naseem still wealthy?

Naseem Hamed’s current wealth

Hamed retired from boxing in 2002 with an estimated fortune of over £30 million, as noted by Mirror (UK tabloid newspaper). His wealth has been partially depleted by high-profile spending, including a £9 million Yorkshire mansion and expensive car collection.

Where does Prince Naseem live now?

Hamed resides in a mansion in Yorkshire, UK, with his wife and children. He rarely gives interviews and has largely stayed out of the public eye since his retirement, though the Mirror (UK tabloid newspaper) reported that he was not involved in the making of Giant.

“The film makes it look as if I treated him badly when we split up. The truth was that the relationship collapsed under Ingle’s greed.”

— Naseem Hamed, speaking to GB News (UK news channel)

The trade-off between financial independence and a mentor’s guidance is a recurring theme in boxing.

Brendan Ingle cause of death

Details of his death

Brendan Ingle died of a heart attack on 25 May 2018 at his home in Sheffield, as confirmed by BBC News (UK public broadcaster). He was 77 years old. Tributes poured in from across the boxing world, with the Irish Boxing Association calling him “one of the greatest trainers the British Isles has ever produced.”

“Brendan was a genius in the gym. He could take a raw kid and turn him into something special. What happened with Naseem was a tragedy, but you cannot erase the greatness of what they built together.”

— Johnny Nelson, former world champion and Ingle trainee, quoted in Irish Times (Irish national daily newspaper)

Legacy and fighters he trained

• Naseem Hamed: WBO, IBF, WBC featherweight champion (1995–2002)
• Johnny Nelson: WBO cruiserweight champion (1999–2006)
• Ryan Rhodes: British and European light-middleweight champion

Ingle trained his fighters at the Ingle Gym in Sheffield, a modest venue that produced an extraordinary number of world-class boxers. BBC Sport (UK sports broadcaster) reported that the gym continues to operate under the guidance of Ingle’s son, Dominic.

The film’s release keeps the unresolved conflict in the public eye.

Legacy: The 2026 film Giant

The biopic Giant, released in UK cinemas in January 2026, retells the story of Ingle and Hamed. According to BBC Sport (UK sports broadcaster), the film highlights an “unrealized reconciliation” between the two men—a poignant counterfactual given that Hamed and Ingle remained estranged until death.

“The film is told primarily from Ingle’s perspective. It shows a man who gave everything to a kid and then felt betrayed when that kid grew up and wanted to walk away.”

— Mirror (UK tabloid newspaper) review of Giant

The Independent (UK daily newspaper) called the film “a raw and unflinching look at what happens when love and money collide in professional sport.” For boxing fans, Giant is both a tribute to Ingle’s training genius and a reminder of how the sport’s economics can break even the strongest bonds.

For more on boxing relationships, see our article on John Conteh: Boxing Career, Illness, and Life After the Ring and Jake Paul: FBI Raid, Wealth, Boxing, and Controversies.

For a deeper look at the financial and personal tensions that ended the partnership, the full story of their split offers a detailed account.

Frequently asked questions

The enduring lesson of Brendan Ingle’s story is that no trainer-fighter bond is immune to the math of money. For every young boxer walking into a Sheffield gym today, the choice is clear: trust the man who takes you from amateur to world champion, or protect your future earnings from day one—because in the end, the numbers always speak louder than loyalty.