Puncher from the Past Cherif Hamia

Name: Cherif Hamia

Born: 23 March 1931 Guergou, Algeria

Died: 24 June 1991

Career: 1953 to 1959

Record: 38 fights, 33 wins (15 by KO/TKO), 3 losses (2 by KO/TKO), 2 Draws.

Division:  Featherweight

Stance: Orthodox

Titles:  European and French featherweight champion

Major Contests

Scored wins over: Andre Younsi, Aldo Pravisani, Jacques Dumesnil, Manolo Garcia, Rudi Langer, Altidoro Polidori (twice). Robet Cohen**, Carmelo Costa, Ike Chestnut, Miguel Berrios, Jean Sneyers, Bobby Bell (twice) , Robert Meunier.

Lost against: Luis Cabo, Hogan Kid Bassey**,Pierre Cossemyns.

Drew with: Altidoro Polidori, Jean Sneyers.

**Past/ future holder of a version of a world title

* Unsuccessful challenger for a version of a world title

Cherif Hamia’s Story

Hamia was born in Algeria and began boxing there winning the Algerian title. He moved to France and continued to box reportedly having close to 200 fights. In 1953 he lost in the quarter finals of the French championships but competed at the 1953 European championships losing to eventual gold medal winner Jozsef Kruza. Also in 1953 he was selected to fight in the USA as a member of a European team vs. America beating Golden Gloves champion Dick Martinez and National AAU champion Bo Tenequer. In October 1953 in a France vs. Great Britain match he outpointed Britain’s Dave Charnley and had his first professional fight on 27 November 1953.

He won his first 15 bouts including collecting the French featherweight title with a kayo of champion Jacques Dumesnil but in December 1954, in a fight in Algiers, he was surprisingly knocked out in one round by Belgian Louis Cabo. He was soon back on track beating experienced opponents in Spaniard Manolo Garcia, Italian Altidoro Polidori and German lightweight champion Rudi Langer. In December 1955 he made a massive leap in the standard of opposition in tackling reigning World bantamweight champion 36-1-3 Robert Cohen in a non-title figh.t Hamia dropped Cohen with a left hook in the second round and with a series of punches in the seventh before the fight was stopped in the last round due to a cut suffered by Cohen.

After a draw against Jean Sneyers in January Hamia headed off to American looking to land a title shot. He beat tough opposition in  rated fighters Carmelo Costa, Ike Chestnut and Miguel Berrios elevating him to No 1 challenger to Sandy Sadler. In January 1957 Saddler retired leaving the title vacant and as Hamia had outpointed Sneyers to win the vacant European title and decisioned Bobby Bell he was the natural choice to meet Nigeria Hogan Kid Bassey who had beaten Berrios in an eliminator. The fight for the vacant title took place in Paris on 24 June 1957. Hamia made a great start flooring Bassey in the second round but Bassey survived and from the eighth Hamia started to fade and the fight was stopped in the tenth giving Nigeria its first world champion.

Hamia had been a heavy favourite and his loss was a surprise. There was a great deal of speculation on why Hamia had fought so badly.  One reason given was that the Paris fight took place during the Algerian war of independence and Algerian-born Hamia had been “asked” by the Paris network of the Algerian National Liberation Front (NLF) not to win the title for France or if he did win then the French flag should not be unfurled but instead the Algerian flag. However an alternative explanation was that this proposal was literally a “false flag” from those opposed to Algerian independence knowing that the use of the Algerian flag hailing a “native winner” would incense those French citizens opposed to Algerian independence. Hamia felt himself in an impossible position where by winning he would be fanning the  flame of a war that had already caused many deaths. The validity of this explanation is still debated but it is more likely that Bassy was just the better fighter on the night.

Even after losing to Bassey Hamani remained the No 1 in the Ring Ratings ahead of Davey Moore and Flash Elorde perhaps the politics hinted at over the Bassey fight drained his love for boxing and his carrier was soon over. In November 1957 he beat Italian Annibale Omodei-a loser of only 2 of his 42 fights- and then won two bouts in Casablanca beating Bobby Bell and Robert Meunier. After a points loss to Belgian Pierre Cossemyns in Brussels in October 1959 he retired at the age of 28.

His exciting style had made him hugely popular with the French public who were looking for a lift after the Second World war, the debacle of Dien-Bien-Phu in Vietnam and the start of the Algerian War. He drew packed houses at the Palais des Sports in Paris and was befriended by many French celebrities. The French press labelled him “The genius of the Ring” and his boyish good looks led the American Press to label him ”Baby Face” and he traded on that popularity appearing in films .

He was employed to organise the security service for one of the largest stores company in France before retiring to live in the provinces far removed from Paris. On 24 June 1991 he died of a heart attack in relative obscurity forgotten by those who had adored him. He died exactly 34 years after losing to Bassey in that lone world title fight.