The high-profile boxing match between Jake Paul and Gervonta “Tank” Davis has been canceled after the latter’s ex-girlfriend accused him of domestic violence in a civil lawsuit.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, the Paul-Davis boxing event was scheduled to take place on November 14. But Davis’ recent legal woes put the event organizers on tenterhooks.
Davis’ ex-girlfriend, Courtney Rossel, claims that he physically assaulted her on Monday, October 27. The civil suit, which was filed in Miami, accuses Davis, 30, of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The lead promoter for the event, Most Valuable Promotions, announced that the fight would “no longer be moving forward” after their investigation into Davis’ actions, BBC reported.
Paul, who is the co-founder of MVP, touched on the fight’s cancelation and scathingly condemned Davis’ actions in a post on X.
“Gervonta Davis is an actual walking human piece of garbage. Working with him is an absolute nightmare. The unprofessionalism, the bizarre requests, the showing up hours late to shoots,” Paul wrote on Tuesday. “To the numerous arrests and related accusations and lawsuits. If you support this man you support the most vile sin a man can commit.”
Paul, 28, also described Davis as a “woman abuser” and claimed that he did not want to give the 30-year-old a “platform to grow his fans and to grow his bank account.”
He added: “My company champions women. I’m so sorry to everyone involved. Mostly to the undercard fighters, to my team at MVP and to my team who worked so hard prepping for this fight. Sacrificing time with loved ones and kids just for this fool to lose his unintelligent mind again. It’s scary that devilish men like this can rise to the top of culture and sports, including in positions of power.”
Paul further sent a word of advice, writing, “I hope you people moving forward look beyond his fake streetwear pieces ‘SWAG’ and search for something deeper to be a fan of.”
Despite the recent development, MVP said that Paul will still headline the event, meaning that they’re trying to replace Davis with another fighter, TMZ reported.
In the lawsuit, Rossel claims that she was working as a VIP cocktail server at a gentlemen’s club when Davis made his way to the establishment and physically assaulted her on the aforementioned date, Fox News reported. Rossel said the alleged assault happened in the back room, adding that there were no cameras in that area. She also claims that Davis assaulted her in a parking garage after he pulled her through a stairwell, kitchen, and back exit.
Rossel and Davis had reportedly dated for five months before the alleged assault. Rossel also claims that it was not the first time Davis assaulted her, alleging that she has been “physically assaulted” and “choked” by the boxer “at least” four times.
She additionally claimed that in September, Davis threatened her life. Rossel said that she no longer feels safe as she’s now staying with other people. She also said that Davis’ actions have resulted in her experiencing PTSD and anxiety.
Davis’ stellar boxing career has been marred by his run-ins with the law. This is also not the first time he has been accused of domestic violence. In June, Davis was accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend. And though Miami-Dade authorities arrested and charged him with misdemeanor battery in connection with the incident, the case was later dismissed because the victim opted not to prosecute.
Besides the domestic violence allegations, Davis has also faced other legal woes. In June 2023, he was placed under house arrest after he pleaded guilty in a November 2020 hit-and-run incident that resulted in four people sustaining injuries, Fox News reported. He was later jailed after he failed to comply with the terms of his sentence.
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