The 2024 Paris Olympics didn’t go as well as Team USA had hoped, at least in boxing. Out of the eight boxers who participated this year, Omari Jones was the only one who managed to secure a medal—a bronze. The 21-year-old was aiming for gold but fell short in the semifinals against Uzbekistan’s Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev. Now, Jake Paul, an honorary coach for Team USA, has erupted with outrage. 

Jones lost the welterweight bout on points by a split decision, 3-2. While he came alive and showed aggression in the fight’s final round, Muydinkhujaev had done enough earlier to secure his victory. Despite this, Paul felt the decision was unfair, insisting that Jones had done enough to tip the decision in his favor.

Jake Paul is tired of boxing

Reacting to the decision on X right after the fight, Paul wrote, “Absolute robbery. Omari Jones won every round of that fight with ease”. However, it’s worth mentioning that Muydinkhujaev landed the most memorable and eye-catching shot in the second round of the skirmish at the famous Roland Garros Stadium. Muydinkhujaev’s punch knocked the mouthpiece out of Jones’ mouth.

While the mouthpiece was recovered immediately after, Jones’ dream of gold became impossible to recover. Regardless, Paul continued, “Can’t believe boxing sometimes… s**ts a real shame”. Meanwhile, Jones reacted to his loss, stating, “I’ll take my bronze, and it’s on to the next chapter. My performance was fine. The cards just didn’t reflect in my favor”.

The once-dominant Team USA has seen a recent drought in terms of collecting gold medals at the Olympics. Here’s who preceded Jones but performed well enough to bring the elusive medal.

Team USA’s history with boxing gold

The last boxer to bring home gold for the country in the Olympics was Andre Ward in 2004. Meanwhile, Claressa Shields was the last female boxer who won gold in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games. Going into the Olympics, many viewed Jahmal Harvey as the best hope for a gold medal for Team USA this year. However, he lost to Munarbek Seitbek Uulu on August 3rd via a narrow 3-2 decision loss in the quarterfinals.

It’s worth mentioning that bronze medals are awarded to the losing party in the semifinals, which is due to the elimination format the Olympics follow. Regardless, the country that once dominated the Olympics with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Oscar De La Hoya, today barely managed to get a single bronze medal.

Was it a robbery? Hard to say! However, the fight was indeed competitive. While Omari Jones lost his opportunity for gold, a bronze should motivate the 21-year-old enough to secure gold four years later. What did you think about the fight?