Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis agree new venue after being rejected
A ruling from Georgia’s athletic commission has shifted one of boxing’s most-hyped clashes of the year.
The upcoming fight between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis in November has taken an unexpected turn after it was forced to change venues. The bout, scheduled for November 14, will now be staged at the Kaseya Center in Miami instead of Atlanta.
Why did Georgia cancel Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis fight?
The Georgia Athletic Commission blocked the contest because of the wide weight disparity between the fighters. Paul usually fights at around 200 pounds, while Davis competes at 140 – a gulf the commission refused to sanction.
“New city, same mission – seek and destroy Tank,” Paul told ESPN. “Kaseya Center. Friday, November 14. I’ll bring the heat and Miami will watch me beat up this angry elf while the world watches live on Netflix.”
Most Valuable Promotions, Paul’s company, had been preparing for the possibility of rejection in Atlanta and withdrew its application for event permits and rule exemptions once the commission made its stance clear.
“Unfortunately, we made the decision to pull the event from Georgia after multiple interviews by commissioner Rick Thompson, who appears to have a personal agenda, publicly misrepresenting the facts and undermining what was set to be a massive event for Atlanta – featuring multiple world title fights and efforts to revive world-class boxing in Georgia,” Nakisa Bidarian told ESPN.
Gervonta fires back
After Paul’s remarks about the switch and his promise of victory in November, Davis issued his own response, sounding just as confident and thanking Netflix for giving him the chance to fight Paul.
“Jake Paul has been cherry-picking in boxing for a while, but this time he picked the wrong opponent,” Davis said in a statement. “He better start losing some weight, chasing chickens and praying it helps him on fight night! Thanks to Netflix for giving me the chance to beat up this clown.”
Davis enters the fight after losing his perfect record in a controversial draw with Lamont Roach, which left him at 30 wins and one draw. Paul, meanwhile, stands at 12-1 with six consecutive victories, including one over Julio César Chávez Jr. Despite the hype, November’s showdown will be classed as an exhibition bout.
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