The fight between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis appears to be in jeopardy.
It was announced in August that YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul would face WBA lightweight champion Davis at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday 14 November, with the event broadcast on Netflix.
Davis began his career as a featherweight and has never competed above 140lbs in his career, while Paul’s heavyweight clash against Mike Tyson last year saw ‘The Problem Child’ weigh 227lbs.
Last time out, ‘Tank’ Davis was held to a majority decision draw in a WBA lightweight title defence against Lamont Roach in March, and Paul claimed a unanimous decision victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in a cruiserweight contest in June, tipping the scales at 199lbs.
The massive size and weight difference between the two men has come under scrutiny from many of boxing’s biggest names, and it appears that may now have caused an issue with the event.
Speaking to USA Today, Rick Thompson, chairman of the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, revealed that the promoter had ‘withdrawn their request for event permits and rule waivers’ that were required in order for the event to be held in Georgia.
“I believe it’s in the public’s interest to know that because they’ve been promoting something they should not have been. They probably evaluated a situation, knew that their weight differences were too much.”
There has yet to be any official announcement from the Davis or Paul camps themselves, but Paul’s manager and co-founder of MVP, Nakisa Bidarian, took to social media this week to reveal impending news.
“Major Jake Paul vs Tank Davis event announcement this Wednesday.”
It could turn out to mean that the fight is off entirely, though that seems unlikely from Bidarian’s announcement, or that it has had to be shifted to another location, with a full explanation expected soon.
