Jake Paul is offering Angela Carini the chance to showcase her boxing skills under his brand Most Valuable Promotions.
The YouTube personality-turned-boxer posted on social media on Thursday about the Italian boxer’s Olympic bout against Algeria’s Imane Kherif, in which he was hit with a powerful punch and forced to abandon the bout after 46 seconds.
“I’ve never been hit so badly in my life,” Carini said afterwards.
The incident has reignited debate over gender and fair play in sport, raising questions about whether Kheriff, who has been banned by the International Boxing Federation from the 2023 World Championships, will be able to take part in women’s boxing tournaments.
Paul’s offer came in the form of two posts about X, one in English and one in Italian.
Paul, who is set to fight Mike Tyson in a special bout to be broadcast on Netflix in November, Carini wrote that he has an open invitation. If she is in good shape, she plans to compete in MVP Promotions events.
2024 Paris Olympics
“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.
The Italian was hit with a powerful punch less than a minute into the bout, before turning around and retreating to his corner, where he told his coach Emanuele Renzini he was in severe pain in his nose.
“I went into the ring to fight,” Carini said after the bout, “not to give up, but the punches hurt so much that I decided enough was enough and I’m leaving the ring with my head held high.”
The IOC defended Kheriff’s participation in this year’s Olympics, saying she and Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting were “victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the International Boxing Association.”
On the sixth day of qualifying, she faced Angela Carini from the Italian team.
Paris Olympics. Getty Images
Kheriff will next compete in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
