Jake Paul didn't hold back when his highly anticipated November 14 exhibition bout with Gervonta “Tank” Davis was canceled. Following the announcement from Most Valuable Promotions on Monday, Paul unleashed a scathing tirade on social media, calling Davis “an actual walking human piece of garbage” and citing the boxer's troubling history of legal issues and alleged domestic violence. However, boxing fans weren't buying Paul's moral grandstanding, instead calling out the YouTuber-turned-boxer for his hypocrisy in booking the fight in the first place.​

The cancellation came after Davis was hit with a new civil lawsuit filed by ex-girlfriend Courtney Rossel, who accused the lightweight champion of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and intentional infliction of emotional distress stemming from an alleged incident on October 27 at a Miami strip club where she works. This marked yet another legal controversy for Davis, who has faced multiple domestic violence allegations and arrests dating back to 2017.​

Paul's social media statement expressed outrage over Davis's alleged behavior, claiming he “didn't want to give this woman abuser a platform to grow his fans and to grow his bank account”. He apologized to undercard fighters and his promotional team for the cancellation, adding that working with Davis had been “an absolute nightmare” marked by unprofessionalism and “bizarre requests”. Paul urged fans to stop supporting Davis, stating that those who continue to back him “support the most vile sin a man can commit”.​

Fans Call Out Jake Paul's Selective Morality

The boxing community, however, wasn't impressed with Paul's righteous indignation. Fans across social media platforms quickly pointed out the glaring contradiction in Paul's stance: Davis's extensive history of domestic violence allegations was public knowledge long before Paul agreed to the fight.

The criticism cut to the heart of what fans perceived as Paul's opportunistic morality. Davis's legal troubles are well-documented, including arrests in 2017 for aggravated assault, 2020 for battery and domestic violence at a basketball game, and a 2020 hit-and-run incident that resulted in jail time. In 2023, Davis served 44 days in jail after violating terms of his house arrest related to the crash. As recently as August 2025, another domestic violence case against Davis was dropped when the alleged victim declined to prosecute.​

Questions About Paul's Due Diligence

Fan reactions repeatedly questioned when exactly Paul discovered Davis's problematic history.

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The fan backlash highlights a broader issue in combat sports: the selective application of moral standards when financial interests are at stake. The fight between Paul and Davis had generated significant attention due to their contrasting styles and the massive weight disparity—Paul typically competes around 200 pounds at cruiserweight while Davis holds the WBA lightweight title at 135 pounds. The bout was set to stream on Netflix, following Paul's record-breaking match against Mike Tyson that attracted 108 million live viewers.​

The Fallout and What's Next

Most Valuable Promotions stated that they conducted an investigation after learning of the new lawsuit and determined the fight would “no longer be moving forward”. CEO Nakisa Bidarian emphasized that the company worked “closely with all parties to navigate this situation responsibly”.​

Despite the cancellation, MVP announced plans to have Paul headline another Netflix event before the end of 2025, with details about a new opponent, date, and location to be shared once finalized. Paul maintained his fighting mentality in his statement, declaring, “As for me, it's on to the next one as always. Anyone. Anytime. Any place”.​

Davis's trainer, Calvin Ford, dismissed the latest lawsuit as “nonsense” and stated they were “trying to see where it's coming from,” maintaining that Davis was “doing great”. Davis has not yet publicly responded to either the lawsuit or Paul's harsh criticism.​

The controversy leaves both fighters in complicated positions. For Davis, it's another addition to a troubling pattern of legal issues that continues to overshadow his accomplishments in the ring, where he maintains an impressive 30-0-1 record with 28 knockouts. For Paul, the incident has exposed him to accusations of hypocrisy and selective morality from a fanbase that sees his moral stance as convenient rather than principled.​

Ultimately, the fan reaction reveals a fundamental skepticism about Paul's motivations. Rather than praising him for canceling the fight, the boxing community has held up a mirror, forcing uncomfortable questions about when it's appropriate to draw ethical lines—and whether those lines should have been drawn long before contracts were signed and promotional campaigns began.