Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis were already fighting for multi-millions. Now there’s a couple more.
Paul and “Tank” agreed to a $2 million side bet on the result of their Nov. 14 Netflix exhibition boxing match at their second launch press conference Tuesday in Miami.
Midway through the proceedings, streamer Adin Ross challenged Davis to a $250,000 side bet. Davis countered with $500,000, which Ross refused to agree to, telling Paul, “Jake, y’all are making $50 million on Netflix for this, I can’t do it. You split the bet with me: $250[K], $250[K].”
Paul then raised the stakes, asking for a $1 million bet, which Davis requested to double to $2 million.
“Two mill? Let’s do it,” Paul told Davis immediately, with the pair shaking hands on stage. “Easy work, bro.”
Davis appeared disinterested at the pair’s opening news conference on Monday, even allowing Paul to take jabs at him in the early stages of the conference without a response.
On Tuesday, Paul again attempted to belittle Davis’ significantly smaller stature, both literally and metaphorically.
“I gave this little guy an opportunity,” Paul said. “He should be thanking me. I’m paying him. I’m his boss; he reports to me.”
Paul told boxing’s WBA lightweight champion that he was “boring as f***” for refusing to engage in a back-and-forth with him.
But the side bet with Paul seemed to wake Davis up, and when the pair went face-to-face for the second time, “Tank” pushed Paul with two hands.
Paul was moved back slightly by Davis, who he outweighs by more than 60 pounds, and attempted to retaliate with a left-hand shove, but only partially connected with Davis’ chest and so didn’t move him off his position. Security then surrounded the pair and made sure the physical altercation didn’t escalate.
Often at boxing press conferences, when the faceoff turns physical, fighters are separated and then not allowed within touching distance for the remainder of the staredown. However, Paul and Davis were just separated for a few seconds, and when they were pitted shoulder-to-shoulder and face-to-face again, neither boxer attempted to attack the other physically.
The pair were joined on the stage by unified super featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner and challenger Leila Beaudoin, who will meet in the Paul vs. Davis co-feature.