Jake Paul vs Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis is officially off
By Eddie Sanchez
Jake Paul will no longer be facing Gervonta “Tank” Davis, though the cruiserweight social media star still plans to step into the ring before the year is out.
Most Valuable Promotions announced Monday that it and Netflix have canceled the show originally set to be headlined by the Paul vs. Davis exhibition bout on November 14 in Miami. The decision follows Davis being sued by a woman who accused him of domestic violence, the latest in a series of allegations against the three-division titleholder.
“Our team has worked closely with all parties to navigate this situation responsibly,” said Nakisa Bidarian, CEO of Most Valuable Promotions, in a statement. “While we will not be moving forward with this event, our plan still remains for Jake Paul to headline an event on Netflix in 2025. Details regarding a new date, location, Jake’s opponent, and additional bouts will be shared as soon as they are finalized.”
MVP confirmed that those who purchased tickets through Ticketmaster will automatically receive refunds within 14–21 days. Fans who bought through secondary marketplaces are advised to contact those platforms directly.
Paul is now expected to book a new Netflix boxing match to close out 2025, with several potential opponents already in the mix. As Sports Illustrated reported, a formal offer was made to Ryan Garcia for a December date, while undisputed super middleweight champion Terence Crawford has also been approached. Logan Paul, Jake’s brother, was briefly discussed as well.
The most intriguing possibility might be former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. MVP and Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, discussed a potential Paul–Joshua matchup earlier this year before tabling talks until 2026. Hearn told SI on Saturday that he’s continued conversations with MVP CEO Nakisa Bidarian and that there is mutual interest in making the fight happen.
“We are available,” Hearn told SI. “If you’re asking me, ‘Do we take the fight?’ Of course we take the fight. It would be a nice way to end this little journey. Does Jake Paul really want to fight Anthony Joshua? He’s a crazy guy. Maybe he thinks he can catch AJ on the fly. Hasn’t really been in training camp … should the opportunity present itself, it would be a huge fight. Never say never.”
There are complications, however. Joshua has an exclusive deal with DAZN, the subscription-based streaming service (disclaimer: I call fights on DAZN). DAZN, which also has a deal with MVP, could look to host the fight itself next year—but Netflix would need to make a significant offer to bring the event to its platform.
According to BetOnline, the current odds for Paul’s next opponent are:
Jake Paul Next Opponent
Francis Ngannou 3/1
Nate Diaz 4/1
Anthony Joshua 6/1
Ryan Garcia 6/1
Andre Ward 7/1
Terence Crawford 8/1
Tommy Fury 8/1
Rampage Jackson 9/1
KSI 10/1
Manny Pacquiao 12/1
Carl Froch 14/1
Jon Jones 16/1
Logan Paul 33/1
Later Monday, Paul posted a statement on X, blasting Davis and apologizing to those affected by the cancellation.
“Gervonta Davis is an actual walking human piece of garbage,” Paul wrote. “Working with him is an absolute nightmare. The unprofessionalism, the bizarre requests, the showing up hours late to shoots. The numerous arrests, accusations, and lawsuits. If you support this man, you support the most vile sin a man can commit.
“I didn’t want to give this woman abuser a platform to grow his fanbase or his bank account. My company champions women. I’m so sorry to everyone involved—mostly the undercard fighters, my team at MVP, and everyone who worked so hard preparing for this fight. They sacrificed time with loved ones and kids just for this fool to lose his mind again. It’s scary that devilish men like this can rise to the top of culture and sports, even in positions of power.”
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