With the announcement of Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis signing to fight in an exhibition on November 14, BoxingScene’s writers assembled to exchange opinions on this…unique matchup.
David Greisman: Too often boxing fans see things in binary choices. To me, this sideshow between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis is both disappointing AND understandable. I of course want to see "Tank" in a rematch with Lamont Roach or against any of the other top names in and around his weight division. And I also would love to see how Jake Paul fares against an actual live body at cruiserweight. But the fact of the matter is Davis and Paul are going to earn far, far more money for this event than for what I want to see.
Owen Lewis: I’m less understanding than most when it comes to already-rich boxers prioritizing a payday above all else. To me, millionaires giving boxing fans the virtual bird to amplify their wealth with a cartoonish matchup isn’t admirable, it’s just greedy. But excuse it as capitalistic genius if you like. Let’s just all be honest about what this means: Jake Paul’s ambitions to be a world champion are, when he fights old men and boxers seven weight classes below him, a farce. “Tank” lacks the drive to fight who fans want him to fight and is a far cry away from maximizing his considerable talent. And this fight itself will be a waste of time. I pity those whose jobs mandate them to preview and analyze it.
Tom Ivers: This really is a disgrace, more so because Gervonta Davis is facing the unheralded YouTube star and wannabe boxer Jake Paul over Lamont Roach Jnr. Roach should have been given the rematch after he was controversially denied a win in their first encounter, and it says a lot about Davis’ position in the sport that he is taking this kind of fight at 30 years old. What a strange career for Davis, who is still lacking a big name or unification on his resume. I hope the WBA strips him of his lightweight title as he clearly has no plans to defend it anytime soon. Luckily for Davis, it’s the WBA.
Tris Dixon: It’s very odd but it’s not surprising. What is wild is that Jake Paul is the only person in the world who could possibly be linked with Anthony Joshua, Canelo Alvarez, Tank Davis and Mike Tyson and make them all more interesting than they have any right to be. I suppose we need to learn fully about what type of fight it is, how long it will play out, but Jake’s a much, much bigger man, so maybe it’ll be a move around like Oscar De La Hoya had with Shaquille O’Neal years ago. It’s not a sporting event, but it’s a massive event.
Elliot Worsell: Yeah, why not. If nothing else, it’s further proof of why this sport - a sport in which grown men call another grown man “Tank” with total sincerity - should never be taken that seriously.
Matt Christie: Attach the word “exhibition” to a matchup and the powers-that-be could get away with pitting a four-year-old against an axe-wielding maniac. Furthermore, if I was Gervonta Davis, and I was offered the choice of Jake Paul for significantly more money than taking on Lamont Roach, I’d take Paul in a heartbeat. He’s never much liked making weight, anyway. Likewise, if Paul, and I was offfered gazillions to scrap with someone half my size, I'd take it. Everyone is here to make as much money as possible, including those who are responsible for this “exhibition” being allowed to take place (presuming it does, of course). Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that Netflix seem far more interested in stuff like this than getting too embroiled in the world of real boxing, whatever that is these days.
Eric Raskin: This fight is such a sign of the times. It feels like the world is spiraling (almost exclusively downward), getting more and more detached from what I spent most of my life thinking was normalcy, and boxing is going in that same direction, with an elite boxer taking on a celebrity athlete seven weight classes above him. It’s ridiculous. It’s perverse. It’s disgraceful. It’s also somewhat intriguing, I must admit. Unlike the discussed bout between Paul and Anthony Joshua, I don’t know with certainty what will happen between Davis and Paul. But it’s not the fight I want to see Davis in — and I have expanded on that thought in my recent column. (That’s what’s known in the business as a tease. Jake Paul ain’t the only one who knows how to sell his product to the masses.)
Lance Pugmire: I was told long ago in this business that perception is reality. That memo now arrives for Davis and Paul, who certainly are focused on the riches that this exhibition will attract, but are now doomed to absorb heaps of public disdain. The cruiserweight Paul will be smacked with it for saying that as a 200-pounder he wants to fight former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and veering instead to 135-pound Davis. And Davis, on the heels of his toughest fight in that March 1 draw against Lamont Roach Jnr, will be scorned for high-tailing from the rematch. That said, perhaps each has made those calculations and still intend – as far richer men – to pursue those bouts that we all want for them.
