Jake Paul didn’t waste any time setting a tone with Gervonta “Tank” Davis at Monday’s launch press conference in New York City ahead of the pair’s Nov. 14 boxing match.
“He’s stupid as f***,” Paul proclaimed of the WBA lightweight champion when Davis appeared to fumble the date for the Netflix showdown in the opening stages of the lively kickoff proceedings.
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Paul continued to hurl insults at Davis throughout the 30-minute press availability, mostly aimed at Davis’ smaller stature and history of arrests.
“There’s a lot of punching down,” the 6-foot-1 Paul joked of his training for the exhibition fight against the 5-foot-5 Davis. “Practicing hitting below my knees, and a lot of speed. We’re sparring some 8-year-olds, I got 8-year-olds in there.”
“I know one thing,” Davis interrupted, “If I [find] out anything, I’m going to beat your a** and I’m going to beat J’Leon Love’s a**. On my momma, I’m going to beat both of your a**es.”
Paul was bemused by the response to his joke and asked Davis, “What are you talking about?”
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“Let anything happen and I’m going to show you and him,” Davis reiterated, refusing to elaborate.
Love is one of Paul’s head coaches and a former professional boxer.
Fighting Davis has long been a goal for Paul — the influencer-turned-boxer infamously named “Tank” on an August 2021 hit list of future opponents. Now, more than four years later, the pair are only a few months away from a bizarre exhibition bout, and few except Paul can quite believe it’s happening.
“I knew we’d be here fighting Gervonta,” Paul said. “I’ve predicted everything in my career and just made it all come true.”
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Paul then targeted Davis’ long history of arrests and criminal cases in his next dig, commenting, “With or without the ankle monitor on?” when Davis was asked what he would weigh for their 195-pound exhibition bout.
“That’s corny,” an unimpressed Davis remarked. “That’s super corny.” Yet Paul continued to stoke the fire by adding, “And the handcuffs too.”
Davis’ demeanor for the majority of the conference was calm, but Paul’s series of verbal jabs eventually took their toll on Davis’ patience — as was likely Paul’s aim — and he chose to attack Paul’s outfit and hairstyle in response.
“For real, that outfit is garbage, and that hairstyle — anybody that’s ever rocked a mohawk is a f***ing clown,” Davis shot back. “We all know this.”
Paul, however, was a step ahead of his opponent and trotted out a pair of actual clowns the second Davis made the remark, one of whom made “Tank” a blue balloon animal of a dog. Even Davis had to laugh at Paul’s preparedness and anticipation of the jibe.
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“Gervonta, you’re the f***ing clown, buddy,” Paul continued. “You’re the f***ing clown, Gervonta. Any man who puts his hands on a woman is a clown.”
Paul was referencing Davis’ recent arrest for a misdemeanor battery-domestic violence charge. Davis’ ex-girlfriend accused the star boxer of striking her on the back of her head and slapping her in an alleged altercation on June 15. The charge was later dropped after the alleged victim refused to prosecute.
It was not the first time Davis had been accused of domestic violence, either. “Tank” was previously arrested on two other occasions — in 2020 and 2022 — for allegedly assaulting the mother of his children. The charges were either discharged or dropped on both occasions.
Paul and Davis ultimately ended Monday’s kickoff press conference by engaging in their first faceoff.
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In the awkward face-to-face, a clip of which can be watched above, Paul towered over Davis, visually underscoring just how much larger he is than the reigning WBA lightweight champion.
Paul weighed in at 227.25 pounds for his heavyweight fight with Mike Tyson this past November, while Davis a boxing world champion at 135 pounds.