Jake Paul offers Will Smith and Chris Rock £11.5m EACH to fight on the undercard of his next bout

Jake Paul has offered Will Smith and Chris Rock £11.5million ($15m) each to box following their controversy at the Oscars.  

The Oscars was hit by the biggest scandal in its 94-year history after violence broke out on stage when Smith stormed up to host Rock and slapped him for making a joke about his wife’s hair just minutes before the crowning moment of his career when he won Best Actor. 

In a rambling acceptance speech a sobbing Smith admitted that ‘love makes you do crazy things’ – but tellingly failed to apologise to Rock for his assault, only apologising to Academy and his fellow nominees. Rock has told LAPD he will not press charges.

Smith’s meltdown continued when he returned to his seat as he repeatedly screamed: ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth’. The crowd then fell into stunned silence as it became crystal clear the attack was genuine. Chris Rock replied to him saying: ‘I’m going to, okay?’ before laughing uncomfortably saying: ‘That was the greatest night in the history of television’. Smith’s sweary rant was muted by directors because the show’s live broadcast is slightly delayed in the US.

Yotuber-turned-boxer Paul, who is unbeaten in five professional fights, was quick to react to the controversy. He Tweeted: ‘Nah this is crazy ahah’. 

Paul went on to offer Smith and Rock £11.5m each to box on the undercard of his fight, which is due to be in August.

The slapping incident occurred after Rock cracked jokes about the haircut of Pinkett Smith

Jake Paul has offered Smith and Rock £11.5million to fight in his undercard event in August 

He wrote: ‘I got $15m for Will Smith and $15m for Chris Rock ready to go

‘Let’s do it in August on my undercard. ‘

The 25-year-old added: ‘Someone get me on the phone with Will Smiths boxing representative asap’.

Paul last fought in December 2021 when he knocked out former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in spectacular style. 

He is targeting a sixth professional fight in five months, though it’s not known who it will be against. 

Paul was not the only person in combat sport to give their reaction. UFC president Dana White wrote: ‘FINALLY!!!!! there’s an #Oscars show worth watching. AND @chrisrock has a chin’.  

Paul last fought in December 2020 when he knocked out former UFC champion Tyron Woodley

Rock has declined to press assault charges but the LAPD will be willing to investigate if he decides to pursue

Any questions over whether the altercation was genuine were answered when just over half an hour later Smith was given the Best Actor award and apologised for the assault. LAPD has since said that Mr Rock has declined to press assault charges – but they will be willing to investigate if he decides to pursue. 

In his acceptance speech, Smith said: ‘You gotta be able to take abuse, and you gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you gotta be able to have people disrespecting you and you gotta smile and you gotta pretend like that`s OK.

‘Denzel (Washington) said to me a few minutes ago, he said, ‘At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you.’

He added: I want to apologise to the Academy, I want to apologise to all my fellow nominees. Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said. I look like the crazy father just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things.

‘I’m hoping the Academy invites me back. Thank you’.