By: Sean Crose
Word is out that Jake Paul is going to fight Gervonta Davis in November. The fight, which will be broadcast live on Netflix, will not be an official bout but will rather be an exhibition fight. While it’s true that Paul is at least 60 lbs heavier than Davis and a lot taller, there’s little doubt that this fight will bring in eyeballs and dollars. Welcome to boxing 2025. The reality is people want to watch this sort of thing and therefore the boxing world is going to keep present these kinds of events.
There’s no denying that Paul is a phenomenon. Starting off as a social media presence, the guy has moved on to become a not half bad fighter. He’s a novelty act in the end though, pure and simple. And make no mistake about it, the exhibition between he and Davis – should it come to fruition – is a pure novelty fight. In an age of spectacle, however, this appears to be what the public wants. Indeed, a fight between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis is likely preferable to the general public than next month’s upcoming superbout between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez.
As mentioned above, though, Paul is a phenomenon. Davis on the other hand, is an actual upper level fighter and a very good one. Though he fought Lamont Roach to a draw last spring, there’s no doubt that Davis can be dynamite in the ring. While there are those who accuse the Baltimore native of not fighting the best in the business (something that will certainly seem to be the case to some now), the truth is that he hits hard, moves fast and knows how to pressure an opponent. How he’ll handle someone over 6 ft tall and over 50 lbs heavier than him is another story. But again this isn’t about realism…it’s about the show.
For, should this somehow break out into an actual fight someone will get hurt. Either Paul’s huge size advantage will crush the smaller Davis or Davis’ far stronger skill set will turn Paul into a almost comical looking punching bag. It will be ugly to say the least, which is why this fight will not be the second coming of Hagler-Hearns. Instead it will be a night’s entertainment that will likely bring in impressive if not spectacular returns. That’s the problem with this sort of thing, sooner or later people might want steak rather than sizzle… or, this being 2025, maybe not.