The score stands at 1-0 for Gervonta Davis. He beat Anthony Joshua in the race to land a fight with Jake Paul. In the end, Davis struck first. Reports confirm the Baltimore native will face Paul in an exhibition on November 14 in Atlanta. The news broke as talks for a Paul-AJ fight stalled.

Months ago, before his bout with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Jake Paul had already teased the matchup. He revealed that his team was working behind the scenes to secure a fight with Gervonta Davis. At the time, he said, “We’re working on it, but it’ll most likely be an exhibition.” And now it’s official. The announcement has grabbed the boxing world’s attention. A fight between a ranked cruiserweight and a lightweight champion borders on absurd. Still, some, like Claressa Shields, seem to welcome the spectacle. Then, for different reasons altogether, close friend Shakur Stevenson, however, chose to disagree.

Claressa Shields nods, and Shakur Stevenson shrugs at Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis

For Claressa Shields, the news was shocking. Gervonta Davis fought Lamont Roach Jr. on March 1. The controversial result set up talk of a rematch, with many outlets pointing to August. Instead, Davis will fight Jake Paul. Shields admitted she might still watch, if only out of curiosity. Shakur Stevenson reacted differently. He has long called out Davis for a mega showdown. Yet instead of taking that fight, the Baltimore native chose a cruiserweight YouTuber-turned-boxer.

Shields wrote on X, “Seeing Tank vs. Jake Paul announced today & not Lamont Roach was very shocking. But I’m gonna watch the fight 🤣🤏🏾.” Shakur Stevenson made one thing clear: he won’t watch Paul vs. Davis. “Hell no. No,” he said when asked.

He offered an explanation to TMZ Sports. “That ain’t really like—I mean, like I said, here’s the thing. Like I have two sides of me when it comes down to it: I have a business side, and then I have a competitor side. And from the competitive aspect, it doesn’t excite me for me to be like, “Okay, I want to watch it.”

Shields’s and Stevenson’s reactions may mirror much of the coming discourse. Many already call the matchup a disgrace.

Questions haven’t gone away

Stevenson said he expected this move. “No, I’m not shocked. I mean, um, in his last fight when he fought Lamont, Jake Paul was at the fight. He told y’all he was going to fight somebody like Jake Paul. So, um, I’m not shocked. It doesn’t surprise me...”

In a 12-year career, Gervonta Davis has fought at 140 pounds only once. Now he’s preparing to face an opponent who fights at 200. Still, Jake Paul offered his side. In a conversation with Ariel Helwani, he clarified the terms: the fight will be at 195 pounds. “It would be at an exhibition…10 three-minute rounds…No restrictions,” Paul said, admitting it couldn’t be professionally sanctioned.

The bigger question remains: with the Paul fight in hand, is Gervonta Davis following through on his talk of retirement? Is the match just a money grab? Or will he protect his legacy – first by honoring a rematch with Lamont Roach Jr., then facing Shakur Stevenson?

Fans will have to wait and see as the story develops in the weeks ahead. What are your personal views on the Jake Paul–Gervonta Davis fight? Share your thoughts in the comments.