After boxer Jake Paul defeated Julio César Chávez Jr. in his last bout back in June of this year, Paul challenged multiple fighters. The only one responding to his challenge was Gervonta “Tank” Davis. The anticipated bout was set for November 14, but unfortunately, fans might never get the chance to see the two in the ring.
Throughout the years, Paul has had many career changes that have shaped his audience. Paul has evolved from a main Disney actor on the popular show “Bizaardvark” to a YouTube star with has grossed over 20 million subscribers, and now a boxer that carries a record of 12 wins and only one loss, seven of those wins coming from knockouts. However, Paul has been criticized widely for his lackluster choice of boxing opponents despite his calling himself the “face of boxing.”
Nonetheless, his bouts have led him to challenge many dignified boxing champions including Canelo Alvarez, Conor McGregor, and most recently Davis. Davis holds an imposing record of 30 wins with no losses, 28 of those coming from knockout under a 12-year career. Davis’s experience and knowledge appears unmatched when compared to Paul’s five years in the sport of boxing. Paul is notorious for his unusual behavior, which includes taunting Davis for multiple years. Finally the two met up to plan the long-awaited day where both boxers would fight.
“I thought it would be a great fight and I was very excited, yet I thought Jake Paul would definitely rig it somehow,” Nihal Mehta (10) said.
This would all change over a series of events that would create a negative look on Davis. Beginning in July of this year, Davis was arrested on charges of misdemeanor domestic violence for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend on Father’s Day in an argument that escalated into a physical altercation.
However, this case was eventually dismissed by a Miami-Dade County court. The fight would still be on the table until October 30, when a woman from Miami filed a civil lawsuit against Tank for multiple accusations, such as battery, kidnapping, and emotional distress. Many thought these claims were unlike Davis’s behavior, but in actuality, he has had many lawsuits and accusations made against him throughout the course of his career that have tainted his reputation. Since 2017, there have been three civil lawsuits filed against Davis and four criminal arrests.
“I think his arrests and charges show just exactly who he truly is. There is no room for that in the sport of boxing, and I think Paul was justified in not wanting to fight him anymore,” Zaven Torossian (10) said.
After the most recent charge in October against Davis, Paul’s promoters finally had enough of his criminal history and officially cancelled the fight. Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), along with the planned fight’s broadcaster, Netflix, announced in a joint statement that the Paul and Davis fight will no longer move forward. Despite the off-settling news, Paul’s manager, Nakisa Bidarian, has reaffirmed that he plans to have Paul still fight in 2025. After the fight’s cancellation, other big-name fighters like Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou were contacted by Paul’s team in an attempt to keep the November 14 fight date intact but reportedly declined.
“Jake’s gonna keep going up. Whether people like him or not, he knows how to stay in the spotlight,” Leo Baker (12) said.
But about two weeks later, Paul and two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua signed the contract to fight against each other in December, which will take place in Miami. Joshua has a record of 28 wins to just four losses with a 90% knockout rate, most certainly proving himself as a worthy competitor to take down Paul, and will most likely be the favorite to come out with the victory.
