The fight between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis, set for Nov. 14 in Miami, will be an exhibition, according to Timothy Shipman, executive director of the Florida Athletic Commission.
“You can’t do a fight like that as a pro fight,’’ Shipman told USA TODAY Sports. “It’ll be an exhibition fight.’’
The key issue is the weight discrepancy between the two fighters, with Davis having weighed in at 133 ¾ pounds for his last fight and Paul having weighed in at 199 ½ pounds for his last fight – a 66-pound weight difference.
The fight originally was scheduled to be held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta but was moved in the face of strong opposition from one of Georgia’s top boxing officials.
The Florida Athletic Commission regulates boxing in Florida, and Shipman said he’s still reviewing the weight of the glove that will be used and the number of rounds that will be in effect. He indicated they will make adjustments because it will be an exhibition fight.
“I’m looking at the details right now,’’ Shipman said. “I mean, it’s happening pretty fast. But I am sure there will be other stipulations because you can’t do it with the same requirements’’ of the weight classes as a pro fighter. Generally speaking, Davis has fought as a lightweight and Paul has fought as a cruiserweight.
Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis fight status: What we know
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), co-founded by Paul and business partner Nakisa Bidarian, is promoting the fight to be carried by Netflix. On Aug. 20, the day MVP announced the fight, Bidarian indicated to ESPN he wanted the fight to be sanctioned as a pro bout.
‘We’re still figuring that out,’’ Bidarian said. “Jake will definitely have to come down below his 200-pound weight that he’s been fighting at. I can tell you that we’re going to have a fight that will have a definitive outcome, whether by way of knockout or decision.’
According to Florida statutes, an exhibition ‘means a boxing, kickboxing, or mixed martial arts engagement in which persons participating show or display their skill without necessarily striving to win using strikes and blows to the head or other full-contact maneuvers.”
Shipman said he is unsure when MVP realized the bout between Paul and Davis would not be a pro fight if held in Florida.
“I don’t know when they understood it, but it’ll be an exhibition fight,’’ Shipman said.
MVP did not immediately respond requests for comment that USA TODAY Sports left by email, phone and text message.
MVP offered concessions in Georgia
In Georgia, MVP was prepared for the fight to be an exhibition in seeking to have restrictions over the weight discrepancy lifted, according to a petition for rule variance or waiver prepared by MVP. Georgia rules allow no more than a nine-pound weight difference between boxers, with the exception of the heavyweight division, which has no such restrictions.
In addressing how it would afford “adequate protection for the public health, safety, and welfare,’’ if the restrictions on weight difference were not in effect, MVP stated the fighters would use 12-ounce gloves and undergo anti-doping testing, according to the rule waiver.
Based on weight class, Davis normally would be entitled to wear 10-ounce gloves and Paul would be entitled to wear 10-ounce gloves, according to the rule waiver.
“The larger gloves for Paul and Davis will provide added protection to the fighters and help reduce the risk of injury during the exhibition bout,’’ the rule waiver states. Of drug testing under the auspices of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the rule waiver states it, “adds an additional layer of protection and fairness with respect to the bout to ensure no fighter is seeking to take any unfair advantages.’’
The Georgia Athletic Entertainment (GAEC), which regulates boxing in Georgia, was expected to rule on request Thursday, Sept. 18. But MVP withdrew it along with other request in the face of opposition from the GAEC chairman and opted to hold the fight in Florida.
The appeal of a pro fight
There are clear advantages to a pro fight.
A contest between boxers fighting all out is easier to market. Also, the ability to wager on a sporting event is widely believed to increase viewership and interest. But online betting companies like DraftKings are reluctant to post odds and take wagers on an exhibition fight, said Johnny Avello, the top oddsmaker at DraftKings.
MVP faced a similar situation about whether the bout between Paul and Mike Tyson Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas would be an exhibition or pro fight. MVP pushed for a pro fight and Texas officials granted the request despite concerns of the age difference between the fighters.
When they fought, Paul was 27 and Tyson was 58.
Despite the age difference, both boxers were heavyweights, with Paul weighing in at 227 ½ pounds and Tyson weighing in at 228 ½ pounds.
In Paul’s fight with Davis, the weight differential is the problem, according to Andy Foster, executive director of the California State Athletic Commission.
“It can’t be real,’’ Foster told USA TODAY Sports of the fight, but he said an exhibition fight would be OK.
Differences between exhibition and pro fight
Unlike a sanctioned pro fight, an exhibition is not scored by official judges and does not count against a boxer’s record. In some states, such as Texas, an exhibition requires the boxers to use heavier gloves and limits the bout to fewer rounds than allowed in a sanctioned pro fight.
In 2020, when Mike Tyson fought Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition in Los Angeles, the fight was scored by celebrity judges. Also, the fighters used 12-ounce gloves, thought to be safer than the 10-ounce gloves typically used in a pro fight between heavyweights.
History of boxing exhibitions
An exhibition between Paul and Davis might seem conventional compared to ones from the past.
In 1976, for example, Muhammad Ali squared off against Antonio Inoki, a Japanese professional wrestler. Three years later, Ali fight Lyle Alzado, then an NFL defensive end.
Shaquille O’Neal fought boxing stars Oscar De La Hoya in 2009 and Shane Mosley in 2010.
And in 2021, Logan Paul, older brother of Jake Paul, fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. in an exhibition – at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, no less.