Back in November, Jake Paul stepped into the ring with legendary heavyweight Mike Tyson in what became a landmark moment for boxing. Thanks to Netflix, the bout shattered records and proved to be a massive financial success, marking the streaming giant’s bold entry into the sport. Interestingly, the fight was initially planned as an exhibition before being upgraded to a fully sanctioned professional contest by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Following his victory over Tyson, Paul set his sights on Canelo Alvarez.

When that didn’t work, ‘El Gallo’ turned his attention to Gervonta Davis, who initially showed interest but soon stumbled with a loss to Lamont Roach Jr. in March—delaying any serious talks. However, Jake Paul reignited momentum after defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June, and now it appears Davis has set aside a Roach rematch in favor of an exhibition clash with Paul. Still, the fight presents a major obstacle: weight. So how will they bridge that gap—and could this exhibition eventually be sanctioned as a pro bout?

Paul’s business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, recently appeared in an interview with KGTV, where he shed light on the situation. “Whatever weight they want, man, they’re talking about it,” Bidarian told the reporter when asked about a specific weight class for the fight. “And whatever it is, it’s going to be a definitive outcome. People can talk about ‘pro/exhibition.’ We’re going to make sure this is as real as it [gets].” Paul’s last fight was at cruiserweight, and Davis has been in the lightweight division for a while. 

Regardless, when pressed on why the fight isn’t being sanctioned as a professional contest—like Paul’s bout with Mike Tyson—Bidarian suggested that the Davis matchup could follow a similar path. “Nothing’s been communicated as yet in terms of what it is,” Bidarian informed the reporter. “Similar to if you remember with Paul-Tyson, when we announced it, we didn’t have the weight, we didn’t have the rules, particularly in terms of the number of rounds, the minutes, the gloves. It’s going to be the same thing here.” 

Tyson and Paul ended up fighting in an 8-round, two-minute heavyweight fight with 14-ounce gloves, which were supposed to help Tyson. Nonetheless, their conversation didn’t end there, as Bidarian shared insights, revealing how the Paul-Davis fight came to be. 

Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis happened thanks to Canelo Álvarez

During the same interview, the reporter pressed Bidarian for more insight, asking if there was ever a point when the fight seemed unlikely to happen. “Always been the plan for Jake to fight Tank once Canelo didn’t happen,” Bidarian claimed. Notably, Canelo Alvarez had signed a four-fight deal with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, instead of fighting Jake Paul, which will see Canelo face Terence Crawford next month. 

Regardless, Bidarian shed light on Davis’ long-standing intentions to face Jake Paul. “To Tank’s credit, he’s a real bad dude. And he’s been calling out Jake for three years,” he said during the interview. “It’s funny how now [people are] saying size matters. Jake is big. And for so long, it’s been ‘Tank would kill Jake Paul.’ And now you get to see if that’s real.” The pair is set to lock horns on Friday, November 14, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, live on Netflix. 

Although the Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis fight has officially been announced, key details about the matchup have yet to surface online. The coming days are expected to provide more clarity on the terms and conditions of the bout. Still, one major question looms large: can the Paul-Davis showdown be transformed from an exhibition into a fully sanctioned professional fight?