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Topics: Jake Paul, Mike Tyson, Boxing, MMA
Jack Kenmare
Prince Naseem Hamed has teased a surprise return to the ring by admitting he would consider a comeback fight against Jake Paul.
The former WBO, IBF and WBC champion, who last fought in May 2002 – when he defeated Manuel Calvo at the London Arena – is renowned for being outspoken.
And earlier this week, the 50-year-old opened up on a number of subjects, including the current state of boxing, in a wide-ranging interview with talkSPORT.
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"My sport has gone backwards," he said. "We haven't gone forwards. It just seems that boxing has taken a step back. The viewing figures for MMA are crushing boxing. Why? Because it's explosive. There's knockouts and there's crazy stuff happening."
As well as giving his not-so-subtle thoughts on the state of boxing, Hamed was asked if he would fight Jake Paul if the YouTube personality offered him £20 million.
Paul will face former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson in a professional bou on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington – a bout that will streamed live on Netflix.
He said: "Jake Paul? Jake Paul doesn't mean anything to me. £20m, what is £20m? £20m, £100m, £200m doesn't change my lifestyle. I am a man that gets on his hands and knees and puts his head on the floor five times a day. I'm humble. It ain't about that."
Hamed did, however, admit that he would "think about it" if the prize pot went to a country or charity of his choice.
"You need to understand something, fighting for a country for somebody to do well, for somebody to raise money, an obscene amount of money, then I could think about that," he added.
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"And I could get out of bed and do some serious training and get fit and maybe do it. For that, yes."
Asked if he would come out of retirement, Hamed didn't say no to the prospect.
"Stranger things have happened," he continued. "I set my legacy in an amazing way in this boxing world and took it to the dizzy heights of boxing. It's hard for anybody to reach that kind of level. But I'm from, a country that's not well off.
"My parents are from a country, Yemen, and I would fight for that country to contribute to them in charitable ways. And the same for Palestine. We stand for Palestine, man.
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"As a father now, it hits my heart, what's happening in the Middle East, what's happened in Palestine and what's happening in Yemen, and the poverty.
"That's the only time that really deep down in my heart I'd want to fight, to do something on that basis [to raise money]."
He added: "So I'd love to go into training and, you never know, if we could do like me, and my three sons all on one card in the Middle East, that would be one of my dreams."