“Prince” Naseem Hamed has said he is “happy” for fighters such as Jake Paul who are emerging into the boxing scene from non-conventional pathways and making a living out of it.

Speaking on Jake Humphrey’s High Performancepodcast, the Sheffield-born legend gave his thoughts on increasingly prominent influencers who have fought in professionally sectioned boxing matches.

Hamed said: “I don’t mind people making money through the sport of boxing.

“If they can train and they come from a YouTube background or any background or they’ve got a name, it’s a numbers game.”

YouTube star Paul courageously stepped into the ring with former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua at the Kaseya Center in Miami last month, where he was eventually stopped by the Briton in the sixth of the scheduled eight rounds.

The outspoken American also co-founded Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) in 2021, with the company aiming to attract new, young audiences of today to become fans of the sport.

Hamed, 51, added: “These fighters are getting put on Netflix and I am happy for them.”

“Naz” retired in 2002 with a record of 36-1 (31 knockouts), with just the one infamous loss to Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in his career, and his four-belt champion status earned him a place in the coveted International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015.

His new biopic Giant is currently showing in cinemas, with the film aiming to portray his showmanship, flamboyance and unorthodox fighting style, as well as the highly documented issues he faced with his late trainer Brendan Ingle, who is played by renowned actor Pierce Brosnan. The British boxing icon said he had no input in the film, however.