The world of exhibition fights is becoming more and more notorious thanks to figures such as Jake Paul, an American influencer who is characterized by his arrogance and for organizing fights with big names in the boxing world.
On this occasion, the opponent is Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, the best pound-for-pound fighter today. This fight puts Davis in the spotlight as he is being heavily criticized as he accepted this unofficial fight rather than fights he has pending with other professional fighters. For example, he is accused of dodging a rematch with Lamont Roach Jr, a unification fight with Shakur Stevenson or a showdown with top contender Floyd Schofield Jr.
Comparisons to historical clashes
However, his PR team insists that ‘Tank’s’ involvement in such events does not damage his image, claiming that figures such as Muhammad Ali, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson did so in their time. The latter did so against Paul himself
The only difference is that all the aforementioned names ventured into the world of show fighting when they had already made a name for themselves in the sport. This is not the case with Davis, who, although he is on the right track, has not yet achieved it.
“Some people get upset because they think the opposite, that they should probably fight professional fighters,” said Barry Hunter, Davis’ trainer, “I remember seeing Ali in an exhibition like that against a Japanese fighter a long time ago,” he recalled.
An exhibition with professional overtones
When asked about the influencer’s previous fight, which was against Mike Tyson and was below expectations, Hunter assured that this duel will not be the same. “I think it will be a good exhibition,” he said. But he emphasized that it will be different from the fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. “I don’t think it’s going to be what we saw between Tyson and Jake Paul. Do you understand? Tyson is already a little older, but I’ve seen Tank train with bigger fighters. So I think it’s going to be a good fight,” he said.
For his part, Paul, with his characteristic personality, is throwing punches on social media ahead of the fight on November 14. “Gervonta has been disrespecting me for a long time […] He may be the best pound-for-pound in the world, but I like my chances. My mantra is: whoever, whenever, wherever,” the influencer posted on social media.
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