On Monday evening, the exhibition bout featuring Jake Paul facing Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis on November 14 kicked off its two-city promotional tour in New York City. Paul vs. Davis will stream live on Netflix, making it the third boxing event the streaming company has hosted this year.
While there have been mixed reactions to this matchup, it is undeniable that interest is high due to the two competitors involved. Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) is one of boxing’s biggest stars, while Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) is a huge star in his own right. When they met for their NYC press conference, the size difference was eye-catching, but it didn’t appear as drastic as initially made out to be.
Before Paul and Davis began talking, one noticeable thing was the gloominess of the room. This wasn’t just a Paul-Davis specific thing, as pressers for Ryan Garcia-Rolando Romero and Canelo Alvarez-Edgar Berlanga had the same type of energy. The crowd was blacked out, there was no buzz in the atmosphere, and the participants kept a low profile, which saw them be less engaging when it came to promoting their respective events. Seeing the press conference begin with that setup led me to think that we would get the same result, and in the end, we did.
Most Valuable Promotions’ co-founder Nakisa Bidarian went to the podium to set the stage for the event. He laid out the rules of the fight to quiet any rumors. The fight will be contested at 195 pounds (mainly for Paul), and they will be wearing 12 oz. gloves. It will be scheduled for 10 rounds, and the Florida State Athletic Commission will assign three official judges (FightsATW reached out to MVP about whether or not the fight will require headgear). For context, Davis fights with 8 oz. gloves at lightweight, while Paul fights with 10 oz. gloves at cruiserweight, making this exhibition contested with bigger gloves.
When Brian Custer went to the podium and began asking questions, Paul and Davis gave off a vibe that they were both not overly excited about being there. Paul tried to throw some zingers at Davis to get him going, but they didn’t hit at all. Davis brushed them off and answered questions in parts with distinct pauses in between. Although Davis at times tried to get into the presser, he just didn’t seem interested. He also said that this will be the first time that he has had a training camp where he doesn’t have too much to worry about. He was likely referring to cutting weight, as he won’t be anywhere near the 195-pound limit.
After a while, Paul gave up on trying to create any spark and instead focused on promoting the event, using the hate he received online as motivation to do something big in November. Finally, they faced off and both fighters sized each other up, with Davis deciding to turn towards the cameras with his hands in his pockets only after about a minute or two. The faceoff wasn’t what fans expected, but then again, it did align with the recent press conferences held in NYC, as they have all fallen flat.
So, regarding whether the NYC presser was a hit or miss, it was a miss, but they have Tuesday evening to make up for it in Miami as they conclude their final press tour stop. Miami has become an influencer city, so I expect Paul and Davis to turn it up in Miami, as that is the city hosting the event on November 14.
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