Omari Jones has signed a long-term promotional contract with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.

Jones, an outstanding amateur, secured the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has now turned professional, putting his career in Hearn’s hands.

“The Banger” was defeated in the welterweight semi-finals by eventual gold medalist Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev.

Jones said this week that Matchroom and Eddie Hearn are a “perfect fit” as he embarks on his professional boxing journey.

“I am delighted to announce that I am turning professional with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom.

We won the race. We welcome another American star to the team, Omari Jones 🇺🇸💫 @MatchroomBoxing @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/8pFzKpUpJx

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) January 21, 2025

“I chose Eddie because he met me in Paris after my last Olympic fight and I understood how stern he was about me becoming a superstar and a world star.

I also want to stay busy and I feel Matchroom and Eddie Hearn are perfect for that.

“My goals for playing professionally in 2025 are to stay energetic and win. In the long run, I would like to become a world champion, be mentioned among the greats and fight against the best of the best.”

Jones becomes the ninth Olympic medalist to make his professional debut for Hearn and Matchroom, and his recent promoter is thrilled to welcome the Olympic star to boxing’s top team.

In the press release announcing the signing, Hearn stated:

“I’m delighted to have won the race to sign Omari.

“Omari caught my eye when I saw him compete at the Olympics – the star’s potential was there for all to see and I’m honored he chose Matchroom and DAZN to guide him in his professional career.

The medal in Paris was the culmination of an outstanding amateur career and I have no doubt that he will translate this success into a brilliant career in the paid ranks.

Ringside Z @terencecrawford 🤝 pic.twitter.com/aoKDQXSWnj

— Omari Jones (@iam_OmariJones) September 15, 2024

“Omari has all the ingredients to become a household name in America; he has tons of skills, great style, a real work ethic, an infectious personality and a desire to assist teenage people and his community.

We are excited to begin this journey and will receive news of this first step tomorrow.”

Terence Crawford reacted sharply to Canelo Alvarez after the Mexican criticized his biography.

According to ESPN, Canelo and Crawford are approaching a gigantic fight, which is scheduled to take place on Mexican Independence Day weekend in Las Vegas in September. Mike Coppinger.

Unified super middleweight champion Alvarez had previously downplayed a clash with Crawford, who fights in two weight classes below him.

However, after both men met Saudi Arabian boxing chief Turki Alalshikh in London last week, they are now on track to meet later this year, with Crawford expected to move up to 168 pounds to face the 34-year-old.

In recent days, comments from Alvarez, who defeated Edgar Berlanga in September, have resurfaced on social media, stemming from an interview with TMZ Sports in September 2023, where he stated that “Bud” only has one standout win over Errol Spence Jr.

“I respect Terence Crawford,” the 34-year-old said.

“He is a very talented fighter, but he only won one gigantic fight.

“If you look at his record, you only beat one good guy [which] Errol Spence is.

“Other than that, I don’t think he beat other great fighters like Spence.

“He did a really good job with Spence, he made everything look very basic.

“But I knew Terence Crawford was a great fighter.”

The Omaha native has recorded one win since defeating Spence, winning the WBA super welterweight title unanimous decision in the case of Israil Madrimov in August to match Alvarez’s feat of becoming world champions in four weight classes.

Crawford responded to the comments in a post about himself X account, warning his rival about his history of making elite fighters look ordinary.

“Lol, that’s crazy!

“So not every fighter I’ve fought is good, but one?

lol, that’s crazy! So every fighter I’ve fought isn’t good, but one? Excellent! Just remember what you said, because I’ve always enjoyed making someone look like no one. 😉

— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) January 19, 2025

“Excellent! Just remember what you said, because I always enjoyed making someone look like nobody’s business.”

Canelo is expected to defend his belts in May in Las Vegas, although no opponent has been finalized yet and it is unclear whether Crawford will fight before facing the Mexican champion.

Jake Paul seemed noticeably disinterested as he and his older brother Logan were on the same bus as their fierce rival, former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor.

The three were connected on Monday before Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington. The 78-year-old is scheduled to be sworn in today as the 47th president of the United States, eight years after he first took the oath of office.

Due to the presence of many stars at this historic event, emotions are still growing. However, fans were stunned when McGregor was seen posing next to the Paul brothers and riding in the same vehicle. Both Jake and his older brother Logan were accompanied to the ceremony by their mother, Pam Stepnick.

In a post sent to X – formerly known as Twitter – ‘The Problem Child’ shocked the combat sports community after posting a photo of the Irishman sitting behind him and his brother. Jake captioned the photo: “Inauguration going great.” One user responded to the snapshot: “I never thought I’d see a photo like this, with all the beef over the years,” while another wrote: “I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

Despite the ongoing feud between brothers Paul and McGregor, it seems like “The Problem Child” wasn’t too concerned about being in the same distance as the UFC legend.

The photo surfaced shortly after Jake decided to take a swipe at McGregor online and posted: “Now it all makes sense why Conor Mcgregor and his management team were desperately trying to get MVP to negotiate a fight between us. As we’ve told them privately and now I’m saying it publicly… the only way we’re willing to compare me to Conor in a professional boxing/MMA fight is if Dana White/UFC are directly at the table or make it clear that everything ok with the discussions. Conor needs Logan if he wants.

Despite Paul’s choice of words, it seems the Irishman is more focused on his older brother Logan. Last month, it was reported that McGregor was negotiating to fight Paul’s older sibling. On the way to I have made preliminary arrangements with the Ambani family to face Logan Paul at a boxing event in India. I have agreed, and then I will try to return to the octagon.”

Even though “The Maverick” recently joined WWE, the tempting offer of going toe-to-toe with McGregor might just lure him back to the boxing ring. The 29-year-old directly approached Ari Emanuel, the head of Endeavor, owner of the UFC and WWE, for a chance to face “The Notorious”. In a video uploaded to YouTube, “The Maverick” and Emanuel can be seen warmly hugging and shaking hands before saying, “Ari, I need one favor from you,” to which the Endeavor boss replied, “Yes.” Paul made the following request: “I want you to give me the green featherlight to fight Conor.” There was a shared laugh and they both said “seriously.”