Jake Paul has undeniably carved out a place for himself in boxing. But one shadow continues to follow him—allegations of match-fixing. The controversy first erupted after his professional fight against heavyweight legend Mike Tyson in November last year. Though Paul walked away with the victory, many on social media branded the bout as rigged. Adding fuel to the fire, a prominent journalist later echoed the same accusations.

After Paul’s win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. earlier this year, Piers Morgan claimed, “The guy’s lining his pockets with buckets of $$$$ – but he’s killing boxing with this boring staged bulls*** against older fighters way past their prime.” Naturally, Paul lawyered up, forcing Morgan to backtrack. Still, ‘The Problem Child’ made it clear he won’t tolerate baseless accusations any longer. Yet despite that warning, the allegations have now shifted toward Gervonta Davis.

Gervonta Davis responds to allegations of match-fixing

Davis and Paul are set to square off on November 14th at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, in an exhibition bout. Ahead of the fight, the two faced off for the first time—a moment that quickly made its way to X earlier today. There, one fan alleged that Davis would take a dive for the first time in his career. Davis wasted no time firing back, writing, “I would never..” 

Given that his reputation—and income—rests heavily on being seen as one of boxing’s elite, it’s highly unlikely he would risk tarnishing that image. Still, the matchup hasn’t come without controversy. The fight faced sanctioning hurdles due to a staggering 60-pound weight gap between the two boxers (Jake Paul—a cruiserweight, and Gervonta Davis—a lightweight). 

Get the EssentiallySports Daily Newsletter. Stay ahead of the game with daily updates, exclusive stories, expert takes, and the biggest moments from the world's most popular sports.

Originally slated for Atlanta, the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission rejected it over safety concerns, forcing a venue change. Florida’s Athletic Commission eventually gave the green light, approving it as an unsanctioned exhibition. The bout will feature 10 three-minute rounds, 12-ounce gloves, and must be fought at a 195-pound catchweight.

The rules also include USADA testing, and scored judges to declare a winner if it goes the distance—though the result won’t impact either fighter’s professional record. Regardless, while Davis is defending himself against allegations, he doesn’t really care what the fans have to say! 

‘Tank’ Davis doesn’t care if fans are mad at him for the Jake Paul fight

Gervonta Davis is not losing any sleep over the public backlash thanks to his decision to fight Jake Paul instead of Lamont Roach Jr. Speaking at a press conference in New York to promote their clash, the unbeaten WBA lightweight champion dismissed criticism. “Why should I care? Why should I care what they think, when y’all switch? Y’all switch,” Davis said.

“Somebody can have a bad day and y’all switching on who y’all favorite fighter is… y’all need to sit back and be fans and just enjoy the sport.” Davis fought to a majority draw with Roach in March, a fight many felt he should have lost. But instead of a rematch, he chose Paul. “When y’all see people in that limelight too long… it turned from love to hate,” Davis said.

It seems Gervonta Davis is focused on cashing his check from the Jake Paul fight later this year—but he’s just as determined to avoid any rigged allegations along the way. But do you think about the fight?