Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse for Gervonta Davis, the WBA delivered another blow. Last year, ‘Tank’ was slated to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in an exhibition bout scheduled for November. However, the matchup unraveled just weeks before fight night when Davis’ ex-girlfriend, Courtney Rossel, filed a lawsuit against him.

The charges against Davis include false imprisonment, battery, and attempted kidnapping, stemming from an incident in October. Now, matters have escalated further, with the Miami Gardens Police issuing an arrest warrant for the boxer. Almost immediately, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza announced strict action against Davis.

What did WBA do to Gervonta Davis? 

According to Source of Boxing, which cited an interview featuring Mendoza and MMA Knockout, Gervonta Davis has now been declared a champion in recess. “The WBA president says Gervonta Davis will be named ‘Champion in Recess’ while his alleged domestic violence case is ongoing,” Source of Boxing wrote on X earlier today. 

For context, ‘Champion in Recess’ is a special status used mainly by the WBC and WBA in boxing. It applies to a world champion who cannot defend their title due to injury, inactivity, personal reasons, or other circumstances beyond their control. Instead of fully stripping the belt, the organization places the champion in recess, declares the title vacant, and allows contenders to fight for the active belt.

The recessed champion can return and challenge the new champion directly within a certain period, without starting from scratch. It’s essentially a polite, flexible way of handling long-term inactivity while keeping the door open for a comeback. In Davis’ case, he hasn’t fought or defended his WBA title since his controversial draw against Lamont Roach Jr. in March 2025. 

In the meantime, authorities have expanded on why an arrest warrant was issued against Gervonta Davis. 

Police describe Davis’ incident with ex in detail

According to a statement from Miami Gardens Police, the investigation determined that Davis “used force to restrain and attempt to remove the victim from the location against her will.” Police allege Davis “grabbed” the victim “by the back of her hair with one hand and by her throat with the other,” before “forcefully” trying to move her from the scene. 

The victim reported that she and Davis had been in an intimate relationship for approximately five months. “At the result of the diligent and hard work of our special victims unit, an arrest warrant has been issued for Gervonta Bryant Davis,” police said. Officials also confirmed that detectives reviewed video surveillance footage that “corroborates key elements of the victim’s statement.”

Miami Gardens Police stated they are actively working with the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force to locate and apprehend Davis.

It appears Gervonta Davis’ boxing days are well past him. These charges aren’t just serious—they are also not his first such allegations. What do you think the future holds for ‘Tank’?