Is Dennis “The Menace” McCann The Next Prince Naseem Hamed?

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By Roy “The Body Snatcher” Skillen

Prince Naseem Hamed was my boy. Love him or hate him you simply can’t argue that Nas always put on a show. His interviews were cocky, his ring entries flamboyant, his style was unorthodox and his knock outs spectacular. The way he moved and danced around the ring, relying on his reflexes as his defences in a way that allowed him to counter with power shots that came in from all angles had me hooked. It was intriguing, pulsating and exciting. Even his one and only defeat to Marco Antonio Barrera was a quality fight. A fight that many will say Nas was totally schooled in but if you watch it back it’s one in which he showed heart and grit and is a fight that was probably a lot closer than the history books seem to remember.

To me Nas is a once in a generation type of fighter and comparisons to the great man shouldn’t be thrown around by reporters easily. But of course claims that the new Naseem Hamed is on a climb up the boxing rankings make great click bait and will be used by the boxing media more regularly than I would ever like. So, I am going to take a closer look at the latest British prospect to be given the new Nas tag, Dennis “The Menace” McCann.

At only 18 McCann entered the pro game with an amateur record of 50-4 with 16 wins coming by KO. It’s this impressive number of early stoppages for a super-flyweight in the three round format.

But does this alone warrant a Prince Naseem comparison?

Since turning pro and signing with MTK Global McCann has raced to a 5-0 pro record with four KOs. Although the names on his resume will not spark the imagination of fight fans there’s something about his performances that have caught my eye and got me pretty excited. Everything is about creating as much power as possible. From his wide stance he bobs up and down and constantly moves his head looking for gaps to exploit before pouncing with speed and aggression. Like Nas his style is a little unorthodox. He uses his reflexes well, often moving straight back to get out of trouble and countering as he does. But unlike Nas there is very little showboating.

For such a young lad that has just started his career there is a clinical business like attitude to his performances. He is in there to take you out and nothing less. And unlike Nas who would often lower his hands and snap out his punches from his waist while using his thick muscular legs to drive them, McCann uses his right hand to blind and hypnotise his opponents. He keeps it in their face, swinging it from side taking up their attention before fainting and launching in to an attack. The attacks aren’t sporadic or wild, instead they are clinical and well thought out. In short he simply doesn’t waste shots. His stance looks awkward at times and just watching him bob and duck and shift around with his right hand stuck in the air looks confusing. But it all has a purpose, it’s all about finding that killer punch.

“They [top amateur coaches] try to change your style to that basic, boring style,” Said McCann on 32red.com. “I’m not a basic fighter. Look at the great fighters, none of them were basic. Boxing is all about angles. I’m not one for a strong jab and one-two after one-two. It’s boring. Nobody wants to see that.”

“I’m loving it. I like wearing the smaller gloves. I stopped people in the amateurs but you can’t knock them out with those big padded gloves on, especially at the smaller weights. I’m enjoying this a lot more.”

Every pro victory has come with skill, composure and a boxing IQ that seems to defy his age, an IQ that will improve as he grows and matures in body and mind.

“I had 16 stoppages as an amateur. You’ll struggle to find another super-flyweight or bantamweight who does that and I’m bringing my power into the professional game,” said McCann in a recent interview with MTKGlobal.com

“I want to be 6-0 by the end of this year with some more knock outs to my name so it’s going to be an exciting ride.”

Apparently, it was Frank Warren that first threw in the Prince Naseem, McCann comparison and I can see why lazy journalists would run with such a comparison. For Dennis and his promotional team it will make fight fans stop and give him a look. But I hope he gets rid of the tag as early as possible. Dennis McCann is a young man with a lot of natural ability and a desire to be the very best. If all goes well, he will become his very own beast and keep fight fans rocking on the edge of their seats for years to come.

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