The Unfulfilled Promise: Daniel Teasdale's Rise and Fall (BBC News)
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The Man Who Would Be King - The Rise and Fall of 'The Next Prince Naseem'
By Steve Jones
Yorkshire | Published 2 hours ago
Boxer Daniel Teasdale, once hailed as the heir apparent to legendary champ Prince Naseem Hamed, never fulfilled his promise of fame, fortune, and films.
"He's better than Naz at the same age," said trainer Brendan Ingle.
Hamed had won his first world title at 21; Teasdale was a teenager at the time.
A Conveyor Belt to Success
Ingle, from his gym in Sheffield, nurtured a succession of world champions and title winners, including both Hamed and Teasdale, whom he guided since childhood.
Photographer Simon Roberts, visiting the Ingle gym in 1997, recalls:
"Brendan said 'don't worry about Naz, start photographing that kid in the corner. He's going to be bigger than Naz'. That was Daniel."
From Prominence to Promise
Teasdale's early success earned him national headlines and media attention. Filmmaker Stuart Mitchell recalls:
"We were selling the documentary as 'who's the next Prince Naseem?'... He was like Oscar de la Hoya."
Teasdale, who started boxing at six, honed his skills with ballet and gymnastics, seemingly destined for stardom.
The Split and a New Beginning
The bitterness of Hamed's departure from Ingle in 1998 is well-documented. Teasdale followed Naz, leaving the gym to work with Herol 'Bomber' Graham, a three-time world title challenger. According to Roberts, it was Teasdale's father who spearheaded this move, sacrificing his career to aid his son's rise.
The Hype and Its Downside
Teasdale's new surroundings brought increased attention—but not all of it positive. Mitchell notes:
"People started to try and feed off Daniel... I've seen all of this stuff before."
Despite Graham's influence described as "a breath of fresh air," others only sought to capitalize on Teasdale's talent.