Jake Paul vs Gervonta Davis: Why Dillon Danis Thinks This Fight is Pure Highway Robbery

Netflix will stream this “fight” (and yes, those air quotes are intentional), following the massive success of Paul’s bout with Tyson, which drew over 100 million viewers. But here’s the kicker—the Paul vs. Davis showdown won’t count toward either fighter’s professional record because it’s being labeled as an exhibition.

An exhibition. Let that sink in for a moment. When even the promoters won’t pretend this is a real fight, what does that tell you about the legitimacy of the whole affair?

Paul’s last legitimate victory came in June against former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., which earned him a No. 14 ranking in the WBA cruiserweight division. Not exactly championship material, but hey, at least it was against someone in his weight class.

Why This Matters for Boxing’s Future

Look, I get it. Paul has done wonders for bringing new eyeballs to boxing. The guy’s a marketing genius, and I’ll give credit where it’s due. But there’s a difference between growing the sport and turning it into professional wrestling without the honesty about being entertainment.

When legitimate fighters like Danis—who, despite his controversies, has actual combat sports credentials—call out these mismatches, maybe it’s time to listen. Boxing has enough problems with its reputation without adding obvious money grabs to the mix.

The sport thrives on authentic competition, not manufactured drama designed to maximize pay-per-view buys. When you’ve got a five-stone weight difference between fighters, you’re not putting together a boxing match; you’re organizing a sideshow.

Danis Has His Own Comeback Plans

Speaking of Danis, the controversial fighter isn’t just throwing stones from the sidelines. He’s making his own return to competition this Saturday at Misfits 22 in Manchester, taking on social media influencer Warren Spencer in what will be his first MMA bout since 2019.

“It’s not emotional, it’s more excitement,” Danis said about his upcoming fight. “I just want to get in there and do it.” At least when Danis fights, it’s in his actual discipline against someone who theoretically belongs in there with him.

The Bigger Picture Problem

The Paul vs. Davis exhibition highlights a growing trend in combat sports where entertainment value trumps athletic competition. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with entertainment, calling it professional boxing when it clearly isn’t does a disservice to the sport and its fans.

Real boxing fans deserve better than manufactured spectacles. They deserve competitive matchups between fighters in similar weight classes who have something legitimate to prove. They deserve fights that matter for rankings, titles, and legacies.

What This Means Moving Forward

As we count down to November 14, the boxing community finds itself at a crossroads. Do we continue down this path of celebrity spectacles disguised as legitimate competition, or do we demand better from promoters and platforms?

Danis might be a controversial figure, but his criticism of the Paul-Davis matchup raises valid questions about where boxing is headed. When even the most polarizing personalities in the sport are calling out obvious mismatches, maybe it’s time for the industry to take a long, hard look in the mirror.

The Paul vs. Davis exhibition will undoubtedly draw massive viewership numbers and generate significant revenue. But at what cost to boxing’s credibility? That’s a question worth considering as we watch this latest chapter in the Paul phenomenon unfold.

Whether you love him or hate him, Danis has a point: if Paul truly wants to be considered a legitimate world champion, he should probably start by fighting people in his own weight class. Revolutionary concept, I know.