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Jake Paul Partners with Team USA Boxing, Headed to 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

Social media sensation Jake Paul is headed to Colorado Springs to train alongside a heap of Olympic hopefuls from…

Social media sensation Jake Paul is headed to Colorado Springs to train alongside a heap of Olympic hopefuls from Team USA ahead of the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

‘The Problem Child’ made the announcement online, also revealing that he would be traveling to the ‘City of Light’ with his fellow pugilists as they vie for bronze, silver, and gold.

“I’m honored to partner with USA Boxing as the 2024 Paris Olympics approach,” Paul wrote on X. “I’ll be training with the Olympic squad in Colorado Springs this winter and accompanying them to Paris this July to amplify our country’s best amateur boxers. My commitment to boxing is much more than my in ring accomplishments.

“I am determined to make my impact outside the ring bigger than anything I do within it,” Paul continued. “I believe the United States has the best boxers. Let’s put it to the test. Anyone who works hard enough to fight for their country in the most iconic contest has my support. Team USA let’s go!!! See y’all in Paris.”

Jake Paul has partnered with the USA Boxing team for the 2024 Olympics pic.twitter.com/AhpQO4zIgK

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) December 19, 2023

Jake Paul hopes his star power will help ‘Amplify global interest in boxing’

After making a name for himself against past-their-prime MMA stars such as Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz, Jake Paul is hellbent on becoming a legitimate force in the sweet science. Earlier this month, Paul kickstarted his new campaign with an impressive first-round knockout against Andre August, moving his overall record to 8-1 with five wins by way of knockout.

Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, also made the official announcement of his partnership with Team USA boxing, writing:

“In recognition of Jake Paul’s significant impact on the sport and the awareness he brings to the sport for younger generations, USA Boxing is partnering with him to bring fans inside the world of Olympic boxing. The groundbreaking partnership serves as Jake Paul’s next step in his mission to provide a platform for young fighters and amplify global interest in boxing, and represents the first time a professional athlete and influencer has partnered with Team USA for the Olympics in this capacity.”

Mixed martial arts added to 2023 African Games, paving the way for MMA in the Olympics

The 2023 African Games will feature MMA for the first time ever, a move that could ultimately pave the way for an Olympic debut. Organizers for the event, which was originally scheduled to take place in August until being shifted to 2024, will feature mixed martial arts alongside other debuting sports, including e-sports, speedball, sambo, […]

The 2023 African Games will feature MMA for the first time ever, a move that could ultimately pave the way for an Olympic debut.

Organizers for the event, which was originally scheduled to take place in August until being shifted to 2024, will feature mixed martial arts alongside other debuting sports, including e-sports, speedball, sambo, and teqball. Ben Nunoo Mensah, the President of the Ghanaian National Olympic Committee, confirmed that 25 sports in total will be represented at the games, as 15 Olympic sports will join 10 non-Olympic sports.

“Adding MMA into the program of sports is a very positive sign that Africa is ready to welcome the newer sports and those sports that have a great global interest. There are many youngsters not only in Ghana but across Africa that are participating in MMA. And these games provide a great opportunity to witness the best athletes in Africa competing in this exciting sport.

“We are absolutely delighted that the organizers have included us as one of the demonstration sports, and we hope that this will be a catalyst for inclusion in other multi-sport games in the future,” GAMMA President Alexander Engelhardt said.

MMA in the African Games Could Lead to a Spot in the Olympics

MMA’s inclusion in the African Games could help pave the way for the sport’s arrival in the Olympic Games. Combat sports, including karate, judo, wrestling, and boxing, are already heavily featured during the summer games, with three more sports, sambo, kickboxing, and Muay Thai, receiving provisional recognition for a potential debut at the 2024 or 2028 Olympics.

“The work of our organization, the quality of our athletes, our ability to stage the very best events, and the value of our global community is being recognized by our inclusion, and this event will surely help our sport to continue its rapid growth” (h/t Pulse Sports).

The 2023 African Games will take place from March 8th – 23rd in Accra, Ghana.

Olympic boxing referee reveals bribery attempts with cash and prostitutes, proclaims ‘boxing is doomed’

Bill Phillips, 73, is a tenured British boxing referee who has worked on more than 100 international events and officiated nearly 30,000 boxing matches in his career. Phillips was the first British referee to officiate at the Olympic games in 24 years in Beijing. That would typically be a cause for celebration, but the level of […]

Bill Phillips, 73, is a tenured British boxing referee who has worked on more than 100 international events and officiated nearly 30,000 boxing matches in his career.

Phillips was the first British referee to officiate at the Olympic games in 24 years in Beijing. That would typically be a cause for celebration, but the level of corruption and bribery that Phillips was exposed to soured him on international competition. Detailing an incident in Kazakhstan, Phillips said that he was bribed with prostitutes immediately after arriving.

“I was still unpacking when I heard a knock at the door,” Phillips told The Times. “So I open it and a young girl, absolutely stunning, is standing there. ‘Mr Phillips (she knew my name), I’ve come to keep you company.’ I said, ‘No, I’m okay thank you.’ So she went. Then about an hour or two later, two came to the door. I started laughing. I said, ‘I can’t handle one, let alone two.’

“I’ve been married for 48 years. I have two sons and eight grandchildren. But that wasn’t the only reason for saying no. It’s a bribe, isn’t it? You’re in their pocket. I don’t need all that crap. I’ve been lucky to have good jobs. I also like to be able to sleep at night.”

Bill Phillips Details Other Bribery Attempts And Widespread Corruption in Olympic Boxing

During that same trip, Phillips says he was offered $500 cash in an envelope and was invited to a banquet that featured multiple naked women. Calling bribery in the world of boxing an “endemic,” Phillips discussed the dangers of accepting bribes as a referee and the danger it poses to the athletes.

“If I had accepted bribes it’s the boxers who would have suffered and they have always come first for me. I’ve refereed about 30,000 fights and no boxer I’ve had has ever spent a night in hospital.”

Selected to referee in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Phillips said that bribery was such an issue that referees and judges had to be moved around causing him to miss out on officiating an Olympic final.

“I was in my late fifties. The first Englishman for 24 years. I had the final and I deserved it, based on the way I was performing. Wayne Rose, an Australian I’d stake my reputation on, was also there. Two of the most honest officials in the sport didn’t get a final.”

When it comes to boxing in the Olympics, Phillips fears that it is mostly likely irredeemable. “I fear Olympic boxing is doomed,” he said. “I can’t even watch the Olympic boxing on the TV.”

The Future Of Olympic Boxing In Doubt After Recent Vote

The latest development in a long line of hiccups for Olympic Boxing sees the International Olympic Committee (IOC) removing the sport from the 2028 lineup. Boxing has been an Olympic sport since 1904, with many fighters making their way from the Olympi…

Continue Reading The Future Of Olympic Boxing In Doubt After Recent Vote at MMA News.

Gold-Winning Olympic Judoka Jailed After Drunken-Brawl Murder

A gold medal-winning Olympic judoka has been jailed after the brutal murder of his friend during a drunken brawl in Mongolia. Naidangiin Tüvshinbayar made history in Beijing 14 years ago when he became Mongolia’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist….

Continue Reading Gold-Winning Olympic Judoka Jailed After Drunken-Brawl Murder at MMA News.

Kickboxing, Muay Thai, & Sambo Receive Olympic Status

There is major news in the world of kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Sambo. The International Olympic Committee has announced that the three combat sports mentioned above have been granted Olympic recognition. While kickboxing and sambo had provisional recognition dating back to 2018, this is a full recognition. Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Sambo join lacrosse, Icestocksport, […]

There is major news in the world of kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Sambo.

The International Olympic Committee has announced that the three combat sports mentioned above have been granted Olympic recognition. While kickboxing and sambo had provisional recognition dating back to 2018, this is a full recognition. Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Sambo join lacrosse, Icestocksport, and the International Cheer Union in the new wave of officially recognized Olympic sports.

Vasily Shestakov, the President of the International Sambo Federation, had the following to say (h/t Inside The Games).

“Today, a truly joyful moment has come to our big sambo family. FIAS received provisional IOC recognition three years ago, and during this time we’ve had to prove to the whole world and ourselves that we deserve more. This period coincided with a difficult situation in the world – the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected all aspects of life, including organizing and conducting of sports events.

“But we have learned to work in crisis conditions, adapt to various restrictions and conduct international tournaments under unconventional conditions. At first, the mission seemed impossible, nevertheless, joint efforts let us manage. This became possible largely due to the well-coordinated work of national and continental sambo federations and, of course, the support of our general partner Rosneft.”

Roy Baker, President of the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations, also weighed in.

“Again we make history for our sport and this is a memorable day for our entire community and an inspiration to continue to develop our sport within the Olympic family of sports. Today I am grateful to President Bach for his continued support and to the members of the IOC for the confidence in bringing us into the Olympic family of sports.

“As a leader of the organization, I simply needed a boost like this to continue to drive our sport ensuring it has a sustainable future amongst the combat sports within the Olympic family. Thank you to everybody in our organization who has contributed. Thank you to the IOC Members who have accepted us, to the IOC Sports Department and to the IOC Executive Board and its President, Thomas Bach, for having understood our sport and recommended us.”

Do you think we’ll ever see MMA in the Olympics?