Jake Paul is facing a champion in his next fight but not the one originally expected.
After teasing a potential showdown against Anthony Joshua for several months, Paul is ultimately slated to face Gervonte “Tank” Davis in an exhibition bout scheduled for Nov. 14 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The fight is set to air on Netflix.
Netflix officially announced the fight on Wednesday following an initial report from Ring Magazine.
Following a lopsided win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June, Paul celebrated his victory with a ranking from the WBA in the cruiserweight division. From there, Paul started teasing his interest in a showdown against Joshua with the heavyweight fighter’s promoter Eddie Hearn even acknowledging it was a fight they were interested in taking.
For whatever reason, the matchup didn’t come together and now Paul is going the complete opposite direction with a fight booked against an opponent who typically competes around 135 pounds.
Recognized as one of the top boxers in the sport, Davis faced his stiffest test in his most recent bout when he fought to a draw with Lamont Roach. All signs pointed towards a rematch being scheduled between those two but Roach recently revealed his disappointment that the fight might not happen as predicted.
It’s possible Davis instead got lured away for this showdown against Paul in an exhibition bout in Atlanta now expected on Nov. 14.