YouTube celebrity turned boxer Jake Paul has clapped back at Gervonta Davis after the lightweight champion called out the social media star.
'The Problem Child' is riding high on his unanimous decision win against boxing legend Mike Tyson just last month. The bout, which many deemed lackluster, saw Paul fail to deliver a knockout punch to the 58-year-old titan during the showdown at AT&T Stadium in Texas.
Davis is gearing up for his own clash with Lamont Roach Jr. next year and slammed Tyson for participating in the fight with Paul. He also had some choice words for the influencer.
“Who told Mike Tyson to fight anyway?," Davis said at a recent press conference. "Yeah, it tarnished Mike’s legacy. It definitely did. For some money."
When asked if he thought Tyson ruined how people view his career, Davis doubled down adding: "Yeah, he did. He definitely did."
Taking to social media, the world No.2 in the lightweight division then blasted Paul, branding him a "bozo" for not getting the "job done" over an ageing Tyson – a dig possibly in relation to the fight with Tyson going the distance.
Davis, boasting an immaculate 30-0 record, also opened up about a potential face-off with the social media star during a chat with Curran Bhatia, as per the Mirror. "Yeah. Tell him this is my callout. Jake Paul what up? What up Jake Paul?," Davis said, only for Paul to later hit back at the Baltimore native on social media.
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"Floyd's (Mayweather Jr.) little son calling me out? ... come on little tank, you know better," Paul wrote. "I saw you pretend like you didn't know who Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor are. Do better and maybe 1 day I give u a platform to shine again after that budget basic press conference you just had."
Since his heavyweight battle, Paul has been bombarded with challenges from the boxing elite. British boxer Daniel Dubois, while not a pound for pound, is a champion thanks to his spectacular knockout of Anthony Joshua in September and he also tossed the gauntlet down to Paul via Instagram.
Hi Jake," he said. "Good business on the weekend but how would you feel fighting for the legitimate heavyweight championship of the world. This is Daniel Dubois calling you out, let's get it on."
Not to be left in the shadows, undisputed light-heavyweight champ Artur Beterbiev initially expressed eagerness to step into the ring with the online star too, only to retract his call-out soon after. Currently preparing for his bout with Roach Jr., the 30-year-old Davis had the boxing world buzzing, not only with his fiery words, but with his unexpected retirement plans too, with the star even indicating he'll exit the ring before 2026.
During a candid moment at a recent media event, when questioned about his future, he said: "After next year, I'm out of it. Out of the sport. It's over with after this year. This is trash, garbage. I'm out. I'm fed up with it. I don't care about belts. I don't care about none of that.
"I'm worried about getting my money and getting out of there. I'm just fed up. It's not even boxing. It's everything. I have kids, too. I just had a boy. I don't want to have to keep fighting and getting punched and all that. I'll probably be building my real estate portfolio, just trying to separate myself from the limelight. I just wanna be able to make money and stay out the way, that's it. I want to be living without being seen."
Although Davis has expressed interest in a clash with Paul, the likelihood of it happening now seems slim. This is due to the significant weight difference between the two fighters with Davis currently fighting at 135lbs, while Paul weighed in at 227lbs for his bout with Tyson - almost 100lbs heavier.
Paul typically fights at cruiserweight and would require an open weight category to even contemplate accepting a match with Davis.
