Jake Paul vs Gervonta Davis fight on Netflix is in jeopardy after the latter was accused of kidnapping a woman. Ahead of the fight set for November 14, a string of accusations has been launched against Davis by his ex-girlfriend. In light of these allegations, Netflix and Jake Paul are looking at other options for the fight.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated wrote on X, “Netflix and [representatives] for Jake Paul have been exploring potential replacements for Gervonta Davis, sources familiar with the situation told Sports Illustrated.” According to Sports Illustrated, other names discussed as a replacement for Davis include Ryan Garcia, Terence Crawford, and Anthony Joshua.
Mike Coppinger of Ring Magazine commented on X that two other names were also being considered for the fight. He shared that Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz can also go up against Paul for the Netflix fight. Here are the options that Paul and Netflix are exploring:
1. Ryan Garcia
According to SI, Ryan Garcia is being actively pursued to replace Gervonta Davis in the fight against Jake Paul. He was reportedly approached in December to fight Paul. Last year, he stunned Devin Haney before the results were overturned to a no-contest. Garcia tested positive for Ostarine. He returned to the ring in May in a fight against Rolando Romero.
Representatives for Jake Paul have made an offer for Ryan Garcia to fight Paul in December, two sources with knowledge of the offer told @SInow. Garcia is not the only opponent Paul’s team has approached, as they aggressively pursue a replacement for Gervonta Davis.
Garcia called out Paul after his win over Mike Tyson in last year’s Netflix bout. He publicly announced his willingness to take on Paul in a match. With Garcia’s popular appeal, Netflix could bring in more eyes on the match. However, Garcia’s promoter and Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya dismissed the rumors. He shared with Fight Hub TV:
So, I wake up to calls from reporters asking me about Jake Paul and Ryan Garcia. Ryan Garcia fights for DAZN, and Jake Paul fights on Netflix… that’s pretty much the bottom line.
According to De La Hoya, a DAZN-Netflix crossover cannot happen according to the rules of the business. It is also being reported that a match between Garcia and Mario Barrios is in the planning stage.
2. Terence Crawford
Terence Crawford is another popular name that was suggested by SI. Crawford is currently the undisputed super middleweight titleholder after defeating Canelo Álvarez in September (via SI). However, Crawford has potentially hinted at retirement.
Interestingly, Paul previously approached Crawford’s high-profile opponent Álvarez for a fight. However, Álvarez has made a four-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (via Marca).
3. Anthony Joshua
The former heavyweight champion was also earlier rumored to fight Paul in a match, which makes him another possible competitor for the upcoming match. Joshua is currently looking to book major bouts. His new advisor, Sam Jones, recently revealed their plans to face Daniel Dubois if their current plan for a bout with Tyson Fury doesn’t pan out (via Sky Sports).
4. Francis Ngannou
Francis Ngannou’s name was brought up by Ring Magazine, sharing that he is available currently. He was previously rumored to enter into a bout with Deontay Wilder, which has yet to happen. Ngannou is currently the PFL Heavyweight Champion. He hasn’t fought in a match since October 2024.
5. Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz was another name suggested by Mike Coppinger of Ring Magazine. Diaz is the only one among these names who has previously fought Jake Paul. They fought in 2023, and Diaz lost via unanimous decision. Since losing the match, Diaz has made calls for a rematch numerous times. On Friday, he shared this post on X:
I was injured in this fight
But they trippin I still won this fight
Its all good tho most people don’t know shit about boxing ill get it back on the both the paul sisters see u fuckers soon 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/WSHK6X4dsw
Paul never complied with Diaz’s calls until now, but fans believe that Paul might budge in these desperate times after Gervonta Davis’s scandal.
The Accusations Against Gervonta Davis that Potentially Derailed His Match With Jake Paul
The accusations of domestic violence against Gervonta Davis came out in July when he was arrested in Miami over a battery charge (via The Sun). He was accused by his ex-girlfriend, Courtney Rossel. On October 27, new allegations emerged against the boxer, with his ex claiming that he had attacked her and made threats to kill her (via The Sun).
Rossel filed a civil lawsuit against the boxer on October 30, accusing him of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and intentional infliction of emotional distress following an incident at a Miami-area nightclub. She claimed that Davis “physically assaulted and choked” her on at least four different occasions.
According to the lawsuit, she is seeking damages of over $50,000, including her therapeutic treatment to overcome the PTSD. The promoters of the Paul-Davis bout, Most Valuable Promotions, took to X to issue a statement after the lawsuit emerged.
They shared in the post that they were gathering more information on the case after launching their own investigation into the incident. Chris Mannis shared the post on his X account and reported that the promoters are looking for other options for the fight.
As @SInow reported, MVP has been reaching out to potential replacement opponents for a December date. https://t.co/vR8jXuHcl6
The Sun also reported that Davis was previously accused of domestic violence by Vanessa Posso in 2023. Davis and Posso shared a daughter. He was arrested at the time.
What do you think of the current situation with Jake Paul’s Netflix bout? Let us know in the comments below!
