The strange saga of Gervonta Davis-Jake Paul continues to grow only stranger.
At roughly the same time on Saturday that Most Valuable Promotions released a statement with an empty update regarding the threatened exhibition between three-division champ Davis and YouTuber Paul currently, Golden Boy Promotions’ Oscar De La Hoya was firing off a social media video declaring that his most prominent fighter – Ryan Garcia – was off limits as a potential Davis replacement for the scheduled November 14 event in Miami.
Still with us? It’s a lot, we know. Here’s a brief recap:
On Monday, a civil suit was filed against Davis by an ex-girlfriend alleging battery, kidnapping and other charges. By Friday, BoxingScene had learned from a person close to the situation that Most Valuable Promotions was considering all its options concerning the fight, including cancelation, postponement and a change in opponent for Paul.
On Saturday afternoon, Most Valuable Promotions released a statement via its social media channels claiming that it was in the process of doing its own due diligence in looking into Davis’ situation.
Official statement from MVP regarding the planned Jake Paul vs Gervonta Davis event on Friday, November 14th. pic.twitter.com/WeXUDRCeK1
— MVP - Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) November 1, 2025
“Most Valuable Promotions immediately initiated an investigation upon learning of the civil lawsuit filed against Gervonta Davis in Miami-Date County on October 30th, 2025,” the statement read.
“At this time, we are gathering information and reviewing the details to ensure any decision we make is thoroughly vetted. We unequivocally condemn any form of violence and are committed to handling this matter with diligence and respect for all involved.
“We will make a determination on next steps once we have completed our review and consulted with the appropriate parties. Until then, we will not be commenting further.”
No problem, De La Hoya can take it from there.
Seemingly responding to reporting from Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix that claimed Paul’s team has been “aggressively” pursuing a replacement opponent for Davis – including going so far as to make Garcia an offer – De La Hoya drew a line in the sand, perhaps meant for both Paul and his own fighter.
“A lot of people are asking me about Ryan Garcia and Jake Paul,” De La Hoya said in a video posted to his Instagram account. “Let me just tell you guys why this fight is not gonna happen.
“Ryan Garcia fights for DAZN and Jake Paul fights on Netflix. That’s pretty much the bottom line. Golden Boy has a contract with DAZN. Ryan Garcia has a contract with Golden Boy, and that’s just the way it is. This is business.”
De La Hoya and Garcia have been entwined in an on-again, off-again personal relationship and rocky business partnership, and neither would be remotely the first in boxing to attempt to break from an existing contract in order to save or make a buck. But in this case, De La Hoya – who has invested in building up Garcia’s career and offered support through the fighter’s many personal struggles – has not only the high ground but a binding agreement.
“Ryan Garcia is probably gonna rant, saying, ‘Oh, you’re keeping me from making money and fighting,’ this and that. No, you have to go by the rules. You have a contract with DAZN. You have a contract with Golden Boy. It just doesn’t happen that way.
“Ryan Garcia’s next fight will be announced by me – who he’s fighting, and when he’s fighting next.”
Jason Langendorf is the former Boxing Editor of ESPN.com, was a contributor to Ringside Seat and the Queensberry Rules, and has written about boxing for Vice, The Guardian, Chicago Sun-Times and other publications. A member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, he can be found at LinkedIn and followed on X and Bluesky.
