Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis shook hands on a $2 million bet over the outcome of their Nov. 14 exhibition fight on Netflix.
Yes, the prefight hype train keeps chugging.
Can their 10-round fight live up to the hype, the latest generated during a press conference on Sept. 23 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, site of the spectacle?
The bout will highlight a massive weight discrepancy between Davis, who weighed in at 133¾ pounds for his last fight, and Paul, weighed in at 199½ pounds for his last fight. But at least temporarily talk of the weight difference gave way to talk of the wager.
The bet was sparked at the press conference when during a stretch reserved for media questions, online streamer Adin Ross asked to up the ante on a bet he apparently had with Davis. Ross said he’s betting on Paul to win, and Davis tried to escalate the bet. Ross said he needed financial support from Paul.
Paul and Davis eventually shook hands with Davis on the $2 million bet, each presumably betting on themselves to win the fight.
“Oh, they’re shaking,’’ someone blurted out.
Later, Davis indicated he will not honor the bet. On X he wrote, ‘He was never getting that 2 mil…(no matter) what happens.”
This is not the first time Paul has been involved in supposed boxing bets.
Paul made a $1 million bet with Mike Tyson on the trilogy fight between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor on July 11. (Tyson bet on Taylor, who beat Serrano.) Paul, co-founder of sports betting company Betr, accepted bets from fighters on the undercard for his fight against Tyson during a press conference the week of the fight.
It’s unclear who got paid and how much. The fate of this latest bet might be as confusing as details of the boxing gloves that Paul and Davis will use.
At one point during the press conference in Miami, Davis’ trainer, Calvin Ford, stepped to a microphone reserved for the media and pressed Paul on the weight of the gloves. The fighters are to use 12-ounce gloves, Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian announced during a press conference in New York on Sept. 22.
Bidarian and Paul are co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions, which is promoting the fight.
As a lightweight, Davis usually fights in eight-ounce gloves. As a cruiserweight, Paul usually fights in 10-ounce gloves. But with their fight being contested at a maximum of 195 pounds, both fighters will use 12-ounce gloves.
“Wait, you guys were the ones that wanted 12-ounce gloves,’’ Paul said. “Not me. I’ll do eight (ounces). I’ll do four, I’ll do two ounces. I’ll do bare knuckle.’’
They agreed on two 10-ounce gloves. But the weight of the gloves, and perhaps even a $2 million bet, would have to be approved by the Florida Athletic Commission.