One of boxing’s most prominent figures has spoken out about the gender debate at the Olympics.
After Angela Carini withdrew from a fight against a boxer who allegedly has XY chromosomes, Jake Paul called the incident “sickening” and a “farce.”
“No matter what you believe, this is wrong and dangerous,” Paul wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
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Jake Paul speaks during a press conference for the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match at Texas Live! on May 16, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Cooper Neal/Netflix via Getty Images)
Algeria’s Imane Kherif defeated Carini, who went into his corner to stop the bout after just 46 seconds.
Kheriff celebrated the win, while Carini was in tears, and after the match he shouted in Italian at his coach and questioned the fairness of the match.
“I went into the ring to fight,” she said, via Italy’s ANSA news agency. “I didn’t give up, but one punch hurt so much that I decided enough was enough and I’m leaving the ring with my head held high.”
Considering she chose not to continue fighting, Paul instead invited her to appear on the undercard of his Most Valuable Promotions imprint (with a fight between Paul and Mike Tyson on the MVP card in November).
Angela Carini competes against Imane Khelif at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on August 1. (Fabio Bozzani/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“To Angela Carini, although your dream didn’t come true today due to all the crazy plans going on in the world right now, I would love to have you fight on the undercard of MVP and show the world your talent on a fair stage.” Paul wrote.
Khelif was in the midst of a bitter controversy over failing a gender eligibility test in 2023.
Kheriff said, 2023 World ChampionshipsThe International Boxing Association (IBA) found that Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting did not meet gender eligibility criteria.
Imane Kheriff and Angela Carini after a fight. (Reuters/Isabel Infantes)
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IBA president Umar Kremlev explained the decision at the time, according to Russia’s TASS news agency, after Reuters reported at the time that Heriff had tested positive for high testosterone levels.
“DNA tests revealed that several athletes had tried to deceive their colleagues by pretending to be women. The tests showed that they have XY chromosomes. They have been excluded from competition,” Kremlyov said.
The IBA added on Wednesday that tests had shown Kheriff “has a competitive advantage over other female athletes.”
Both Kherif and the Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) have denied claims that Kherif has XY chromosomes.
The International Olympic Committee also cleared Khelif to compete in the Olympics and defended him in a statement on Thursday.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydas contributed to this report.
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