Jake Paul set to take on Gervonta Davis in exhibition bout rather than Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul will not fight Anthony Joshua in his next fight after he announced an exhibition contest with Gervonta Davis on November 14.

Paul, who has spent his professional career operating around the cruiserweight limit, will meet Davis, a world champion at lightweight, in an event at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday November 14 after confirming the fight on social media on Wednesday.

Davis is the reigning WBA world titlist at 135lbs, but his title will not be on the line.

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Joshua, a former two-time unified heavyweight world champion and Olympic gold medallist, had been holding discussions to box Paul in a match-up that was as unexpected as this new pairing with Davis.

If the fight had gone ahead against Joshua, there was no guarantee the British Boxing Board of Control would have sanctioned it as a professional contest.

Paul though has only boxed once at heavyweight, and that was against a 58-year-old, long-retired Mike Tyson. He lost to Tommy Fury at 185lbs in 2023 and while he has beaten Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, a former world champion, Chavez Jr's title reign ended in 2012 and was down at middleweight.

Paul's contentious but high-profile bout with Tyson was sanctioned in Texas, albeit over eight two-minute rounds with 14-ounce gloves.

However, their representatives had held discussions for a match-up, which even Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn called "bizarre".

Joshua does have other potential options. France's Tony Yoka, who succeeded Joshua as Olympic champion in 2016, has signed with British promoters Queensberry.

Joshua's most appealing fight would be against long-time rival Tyson Fury, who has previously mooted a potential comeback in 2026. But most recently Fury told Sky Sports he would stay retired, insisting: "Too old, look at my beard, all grey. Boxing is a young man's game."

Rather than having that heavyweight fight with Joshua, Paul, who was 199½lbs in his last bout, will now be facing an opponent who has never weighed over 140lbs.

But Davis is one of the biggest names in American boxing. He knocked out Ryan Garcia in his most high-profile contest to date and has held world titles at super-feather and lightweight. Most recently Davis drew with Frank Martin.

While Paul is a much bigger man, 6ft 1in tall to Davis' 5ft 5½in, he cannot match the level or the extent of the lightweight's experience.

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Jake Paul set to take on Gervonta Davis in exhibition bout rather than Anthony Joshua