Gervonta Davis apparently has shunned a rematch with Lamont Roach Jr in favour of an exhibition with Jake Paul.
‘Tank’ Davis kept hold of his WBA Lightweight World Title when he first faced Roach back in March of this year, fighting to a majority draw but not without controversy.
In the ninth, the knockout artist champion took a knee and retreated to his corner. It was not called a knockdown, but had it been so and the rest of the cards remained the same, Roach would have won the title.
All signs pointed to a rematch, with Roach calling for it immediately and ‘Tank’ also expressing his interest. However, as the weeks went on, Roach became increasingly frustrated with the radio silence and recently admitted that it was looking unlikely.
That has proven to be correct, as according to the Ring Magazine, ‘Tank’ will instead co-star in an exhibition with Paul – a money-spinning event set to take place in Atlanta and be streamed live on Netflix. The rules are yet to be revealed, however its exhibition status is clearly required as no commission would likely sanction something with such a weight discrepancy – the difference between their last fighting weights is 65lbs.
Following the report, Roach was quick to take to social media to say ‘told you’ and branding his rival a ‘duck.’
An official announcement for the event – which is likely to post similar numbers as Paul’s outing against Mike Tyson – is expected soon.
It is unclear at this stage how the WBA will handle the contest, particularly since Davis is unlikely to be able to defend the belt until months into 2026.
