All options are on the table.
That’s what an individual briefed on Gervonta Davis’ ability to remain as Jake Paul’s November 14 exhibition fight opponent in Miami told BoxingScene on Friday as Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions is actively assessing the situation.
WBA lightweight titleholder Davis, 30-0-1 (28 KOs), was named in Miami-Dade civil court this week for battery, kidnapping and three other counts connected to his alleged attack of a woman at a Florida nightclub earlier this week.
Although another domestic violence case against Davis was dropped earlier this year after it contributed to the scrapping of plans for him to fight junior lightweight belt holder Lamont Roach Jnr in a rematch of their March 1 draw in Brooklyn, New York, this latest incident has chilled those involved in the planned Miami exhibition versus YouTuber and WBA-ranked cruiserweight Paul.
One individual briefed on the matter told BoxingScene that several matters have been discussed, including:
– Replacing Davis with another opponent, although just two weeks remain before the November 14 fight date.
– Postponing the bout.
– Speculating whether Netflix will scrap the bout given the sensitivity to the seriousness of the allegations against Davis by Courtney Rossel, who claims in the case that she was choked, grabbed and pushed by Davis while also being hit in the back of the head.
Davis is accused of false imprisonment, aggravated battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
BoxingScene reported earlier this week that Davis is described in the suit as someone who “has a propensity and pattern of violence upon women.” It also claims that Davis had been violent toward Rossel – even threatening to kill her more than once – on at least four other occasions before Monday’s alleged incident.
Although Paul fought cruiserweight and former middleweight titlist Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr this summer and expressed interest in meeting a cruiserweight belt holder such as Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez or Badou Jack, Ramirez is sidelined by an injury treated by surgery and Jack has a December 13 title defense scheduled.
Nakisa Bidarian, who heads Most Valuable Promotions, did not immediately return messages left to him by BoxingScene on Friday.
Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.
