Jake Paul is just two weeks away from stepping back into the ring, but once again, there’s not exactly a typical opponent waiting on the other side. On November 14, Paul is set to face Gervonta “Tank” Davis in Miami. The matchup has caught plenty of attention because Davis normally fights seven weight classes below Paul, who competes as a cruiserweight.
Although this fight is not officially sanctioned, Paul emphasized in a recent interview with Fox News Digital that “it’s the same deal. Everyone remembers that there’s a winner.”
Paul has faced criticism before for his choice of opponents, such as Mike Tyson—who is 31 years older than him—and Anderson Silva, a former UFC star nearly 22 years his senior. Additionally, some of his previous boxing opponents like Andre August and Ryan Bourland have not been widely recognized names. Now, similar skepticism has arisen regarding Davis due to the weight-class disparity.
However, Paul, who has repeatedly expressed his ambitions to become a world champion and is eligible for a WBA title fight, argued that this upcoming matchup further validates his legitimacy as a boxer.
“I think people have said, ‘Fight someone your age, fight one of the best in the world.’ This is answering both of those things in one,” he said. “And being the underdog with half the internet thinking I’m going to get killed and blah, blah, blah, and proving to people that I can box better than someone who’s been doing it their whole life. I think people will be shocked after fight night as to my skills and how I strategically came in with a game plan and I executed it.”
Paul explained that his game plan for this fight is very different from those in the past. “A lot of it’s focusing on speed, but also just high-level thinking in the sport, ring IQ, not making any mistakes. Not getting countered, not getting lazy at any moment, alertness, all of these things. The list goes on,” he said. “But I have to be the sharpest I’ve ever been for 39 minutes straight, and that’s not easy to do against someone who’s one of the pound-for-pound best.”
The unsanctioned nature of the fight has led to accusations—similar to those surrounding many of Paul’s previous bouts—that the fights are staged, fixed, or rigged in some way. Such claims escalated to the point where Paul and his business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, threatened legal action, notably against commentator Piers Morgan.
Morgan later “clarified” his comments after Paul and Bidarian announced potential lawsuits, and since then, Paul has noticed a quiet from critics.
“People haven’t been talking. And rightfully so, right?” Paul said. “Like, stop lying on my name. People can say a lot of things, but when they’re blatant lies that actually defame my brand—people saying fights are rigged, steroids, whatever it is—that’s where it goes too far.”
He continued, “So, you know, hate on the fights, don’t watch the fights, whatever, but as soon as people start lying, they’re going to get sued.”
After the fight, Paul plans to focus on his fiancée, Jutta Leerdam, who will be competing for her first Olympic gold medal in speedskating. Leerdam, 26, won a silver medal in the women’s 1,000 meters at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The couple got engaged earlier this year, but their intense training schedules have complicated wedding planning.
Paul has even found that his own training commitments have impacted his ability to support Leerdam fully during this important time.
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