- The Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission has not yet approved the scheduled fight between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis.
- A significant weight difference between the two fighters is a potential issue for the commission’s approval.
- It is currently unclear if the event will be a sanctioned professional match or an exhibition.
- The commission’s next board meeting, where the event could be considered, is scheduled for September 18.
The fight between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis scheduled for Nov. 14 in Atlanta has not been approved by the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission (GAEC), which regulates boxing in the state, according to a state official.
“The commission hasn’t approved this event yet, but it could still be considered at a future meeting,’’ Robert A. Sinners, Communications Director for the Secretary of State, told USA TODAY Sports Tuesday, Sept. 2.
The next GAEC board meeting is on September 18, according to Sinners. He said the Secretary of State provides administrative support for more than 40 state boards and commissions, including the GAEC.
By email, Sinners also said, “I can’t speculate to the board’s motivations for action/non-action.’’
Most Valuable Promotions, co-founded by Paul and Nakisa Bidvarian, did not immediately respond to requests for comment USA TODAY Sports submitted by email and text message.
Jake Paul vs Tank Davis size: Possible issue with weight
The weight discrepancy between the two fighters is a potential issue, one addressed by rules and regulations in Georgia.
‘No boxing contest or exhibition may be scheduled, and no boxer may engage in a boxing contest or exhibition without the approval of the commission or the commission’s representative if the difference in weight between the boxers exceeds (a maximum of nine pounds),” the rules state.
Paul weighed in at 199 1/2 pounds at his last fight. Davis weighed in at 133 3/4 pounds for his last night.
Matt Woodruff, Executive Director of the GAEC, has not responded to messages from USA TODAY Sports seeking comment. Members of the GAEC’s five-man board could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday.
Without approval from the GAEC, it’s unclear whether the bout will be a sanctioned professional match or an exhibition. The uncertainty bubbled on Aug. 20 when Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), co-founded by Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, announced the fight and that it would be livestreamed by Netflix.
Representatives at DraftKings, FanDuel and Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas all said they thought the fight would be an exhibition and, as a result, declined to provide odds for the matchup between boxers of significant size discrepancy.
But Bidarian, who, along with Paul, co-founded MVP, told ESPN, ‘We’re still figuring that out. Jake will definitely have to come down below his 200-pound weight that he’s been fighting at. I can tell you that we’re going to have a fight that will have a definitive outcome, whether by way of knockout or decision.’
The decision on approval for a sanctioned pro fight and an exhibition, which would have no official judges scoring, rests with the GAEC.
USA TODAY Sports submitted an open records request for all records for the Nov. 14 boxing match between Paul and Davis and copies of all correspondence between the GAEC and MVP or representatives of MVP. On Tuesday, the Secretary of State stated, “There are no responsive records to your request.’’
