NEW YORK —
Gervonta Davis has a hard time going anywhere without screaming fans begging for his autograph.
His violent knockouts have made him one of the most popular boxers in the sport. Considering his track record, some believe he is the face of boxing.
That distinction, however, is a bit too much praise for his liking.
“I’m not the face of boxing,” Davis said during a recent press conference. “I’m just somebody that box[es].”
Ultimately, all of this “face of boxing” chatter isn’t on his radar. The 30-year-old WBA lightweight champ is training his tail off for his
November 14 exhibition against fringe cruiserweight contender Jake Paul at Kaseya Center in Miami.
Their matchup will be streamed on Netflix and is expected to have a ton of eyeballs, despite the comical nature of it. After several conclaves, Davis agreed to face the YouTuber-turned-boxer at a catchweight of 195 pounds, 60 higher than his usual weight class.
What Davis does following his exhibition is a question he won’t answer. He's coming off a
controversial draw against Lamont Roach on March 1 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
There was reason to believe there would be a rematch. But while Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) initially agreed, he backed out at the last minute and opted to face Paul (12-1, 7 KOs).
In terms of being the face of boxing, in years past, the Baltimore, Maryland, native believed it was a position he earned. Nowadays, he couldn’t care less.