Jake Paul, an honorary coach for the U.S. Olympic boxing team, voiced strong criticism on Thursday regarding an Olympic women’s boxing match that has raised questions about gender eligibility. The match included an Algerian fighter whose gender eligibility has become a contentious issue.
Paul, known for his social media influence and professional boxing career, expressed his outrage on his verified X account, saying, “This is sickening. This is a travesty. Doesn’t matter what you believe. This is wrong and dangerous.” He later extended an offer for a fight to the controversial boxer through MVP Promotions, the organization he co-founded.
Paul’s older brother, Logan Paul, also weighed in, condemning the situation as “the purest form of evil” on social media. Their comments reflect growing frustration over the issue.
The controversy began at the 2023 world championships when fighters Khelif from Algeria and Lin Yu-Ting from Taiwan were initially awarded medals in the women’s competition. However, they were later stripped of their medals after failing gender eligibility tests.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has since confirmed that both Khelif and Yu-Ting meet the eligibility criteria to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, the IOC has not detailed the specific criteria beyond noting that the boxers’ national passports list them as women, leaving the situation unresolved and sparking further debate.