Social-media phenomenon turned pugilist Jake Paul and undefeated lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis saw their Nov. 14 mega-match at Miami’s Kaseya Center officially scrubbed just 10 days out.
The cancellation was triggered by a civil lawsuit filed Oct. 31 in Miami-Dade County by Davis’s ex-girlfriend, prompting Paul’s promotional outfit Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) to invoke athlete-safety and compliance concerns and quietly begin questing for a replacement opponent for Paul on his Netflix deal.
Court papers name Davis, 30, as the defendant in a lawsuit brought by Courtney Rossel, who alleges an Oct. 27 incident at a Miami strip club involving battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The filing notes Rossel obtained a temporary restraining order Nov. 3 barring Davis from contacting her or coming within 500 feet.
Davis has publicly denied the allegations; his camp calls them “baseless smears.”
MVP says it launched its probe the day the lawsuit arrived, citing internal memos that flagged concerns for event integrity and legal exposure.
Sources say backer Netflix – which struck a $100 million-plus deal with MVP in 2024 – supported the cancellation to distance the platform from unresolved litigation.
Originally teased in June via a viral X Spaces session, the Paul-Davis matchup promised fireworks: the 28-year-old Paul weighs around 200 pounds while Davis dominates at lightweight (135 lbs).
Critics from the boxing world – including hall-of-famers – called it a sideshow.
Organizers adjusted the venue (to Miami) and weight (catchweight 147 lbs) to appease regulators, but the size disparity and celebrity-boxing tag never fully dissipated.
MVP CEO Nakisa Bidarian confirmed the fight won’t proceed but pledged that Paul will "headline an event on Netflix later in 2025." Meanwhile, Paul tweeted early Tuesday:
“Gervonta Davis is an actual walking human piece of garbage... I’ll be counting my Netflix checks while you’re dodging subpoenas. #ProblemChild”
His camp is now swirling with rumours of a superfight versus Conor McGregor or a rematch with Tommy Fury.
Davis, highly touted with 30-0 and 28 KOs, now faces a crossroads. Sponsors and the World Boxing Association are expected to keep a close eye on the situation.
