Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis: An Unexpected Clash in the Boxing World
The boxing world is preparing for a showdown that has taken everyone by surprise: Jake Paul, the YouTube star turned boxer, will face WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis. The fight is scheduled for Friday, November 14th at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta and will be broadcast live on Netflix. The news, which emerged unexpectedly, has caused a great stir in the boxing world. Paul had been in talks for a possible showdown with former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, while Davis was linked to a rematch with Lamont Roach Jr. after their majority draw in March. However, Paul and Davis reached an agreement on Wednesday for a fight between two of the biggest names in boxing, which for now is labeled as an exhibition.Why This Fight?
The question everyone is asking is: Why this fight? How did it come about? What happened to the other names each fighter was linked to? And, ultimately, what does all this mean? Let’s try to make sense of this matchup between a 135-pound world champion and a YouTuber turned professional boxer, who last fought at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds.The Origin of the Confrontation
In August 2021, Paul revealed a “target list” of opponents he wanted to face. At that time, Paul had a 3-0 record in his boxing career with victories over fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, NBA dunk champion Nate Robinson, and MMA fighter Ben Askren. The list of future opponents included Tyron Woodley, Canelo Álvarez, UFC fighters Nate or Nick Diaz, Kamaru Usman and Conor McGregor, boxers “Timmy Fury” (Tommy Fury), Gervonta Davis, fellow YouTuber KSI and Paul’s older brother, Logan, who now competes in WWE. Since then, he has fought against three people from that list (Nate Diaz, Fury, and Woodley, twice). Davis will be the fourth. In 2021, many of these names seemed unattainable, considering Paul’s lack of experience, but as his stature in the sport has grown, Paul has become a name that many fighters want to face due to the tremendous visibility and financial gains that come with it. Davis has long shown interest in fighting Paul, and the two have thrown indirects at each other on social media. Earlier this year, both sides negotiated a fight, but when Davis fought Roach in March, the plans were suspended. Later, Paul fought Julio César Chávez Jr., while Davis considered his options. Finally, Davis set aside the rematch with Roach and finalized the deal with Paul.A Cultural Event
Both parties understand that this fight will be a major cultural event. Despite the fact that many people don’t like it, Paul is one of the biggest attractions in boxing, and Davis has proven to be a box office draw every time he fights. Although Paul is significantly bigger than Davis, he believes he would be an easy opponent. Paul and his company Most Valuable Promotions will organize the event which will undoubtedly reach a massive audience when it is broadcast worldwide on Netflix. Since McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. made millions with their crossover fight in 2017, the boxing world has seen the absurd financial gains of this type of fight. Are they taking advantage of the opportunity? Absolutely.I am a professional boxer. For that I must fight: for a prize!
Floyd Mayweather
A Real Fight?
Is this a real fight? Isn’t Gervonta Davis a champion at 135 pounds, and isn’t Jake Paul a 200-pound cruiserweight? Define “real”. Will Paul and Davis try to knock each other’s heads off when the bell rings? Yes. That will be real. Will it be a sanctioned boxing match? Probably not. There will be a big weight difference when they meet on fight night. When asked if the fight would be an exhibition, Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said that the contracted weight and the number of rounds had not yet been agreed upon. All of this is still under negotiation. The weight difference will be the main reason why the fight may end as an exhibition, but that will be determined once the Georgia State Athletic Commission gets involved with the rules. However, stranger things have happened.Rules of an Exhibition
The rules for an exhibition match are much more flexible than a sanctioned professional boxing match. The number and duration of rounds, the size of gloves, the referee, and other things can be negotiated. A winner is not declared in an exhibition fight, nor does it count towards a fighter’s professional record. Exhibition fights are purely for entertainment.Similar to Mayweather vs. Logan Paul?
Yes. But Jake is a more skilled boxer than Logan, and Davis is still in his prime, while Mayweather was retired when he fought the social media influencer. Like Mayweather-Logan Paul, there will be a significant weight disparity between the fighters. Logan came into that fight at 189.5 pounds. Mayweather weighed 155 pounds, and it never really seemed like Mayweather was trying to hurt Logan when they faced off. Certainly, there’s more of a bad blood element between Jake and Davis, considering that a loss for “Tank” would be a big blow to his professional career. Paul will want to impress if he plans to be taken seriously as a boxer in the future. Being knocked out by a much smaller Davis would significantly damage the idea of Jake fighting Joshua next year.And Anthony Joshua?
The fight with Joshua was not expected for 2025, according to MVP. Bidarian said that if the terms can be agreed upon, a fight between Paul and Joshua in heavyweight could still take place in 2026. Joshua is recovering from elbow surgery and plans to fight again before the end of 2025. Joshua has been linked to a comeback fight with French heavyweight Tony Yoka. Paul and Joshua have been interested in the fight taking place in 2026. However, if Paul were to be knocked out by Davis in November, those plans could change. “If ‘Tank’ knocks out Jake, I don’t know what the demand will be to see Joshua’s potential to knock out Jake,” Bidarian said. “Of course, there’s always a potential impact on Joshua’s fight depending on the outcome of Paul’s fight with Davis.” Paul addressed the possibility of facing Joshua after Davis in a statement on Wednesday.First, I’m going to kill David [Davis], then I’m going to massacre Goliath [Joshua], and you’ll all see me do it.
Jake Paul
