Haney Reacts to Jake Paul vs “Tank“ Gervonta Davis Exhibition Bout

The boxing world is under discussion again. Jake Paul vs Gervonta Davis is on for November 14 at Miami’s Kaseya Center, and yes, it’s an exhibition. No belts and no records. Just pure hype and a paycheck that’s already making waves.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Haney didn’t flinch when asked about the matchup. “It's an exhibition at the end of the day,” he said, his tone steady. “It’s business.” Simple, but sharp. That one line summed up what many fighters quietly think: this isn’t about legacy. It’s about leverage.

A YouTuber stepping into the ring with one of the sport’s most explosive champions? It still sounds absurd. Yet here we are. Paul, the self-made showman, outweighs Davis by nearly 60 pounds. Davis, the WBA lightweight king, has never fought beyond 140. But when the lights hit Miami, no one will care about the math.

Haney added that while he’s focused on “real fights,” he respects the grind. “People are going to talk regardless,” he said. “Tank knows what he’s doing. Jake too.” You could tell he wasn’t judging, just observing a sport in transition.

And that’s the story here. The sport is changing. The lines between competition and entertainment are blurring fast. Fans crave drama as much as dominance now. Maybe that’s uncomfortable, but it’s also undeniably magnetic.

Honestly, who doesn’t want to see what happens when brute size meets pure skill?

Haney even acknowledged the intrigue: “Jake’s a decent boxer. He’s big and works hard. Tank’s smaller, but way more experienced. Should “Tank” win? Yeah. But I don’t know the rules, the ins and outs of it.” That uncertainty itself might be the hook. Nobody really knows what to expect.

As the countdown to November begins, opinions keep clashing. Traditionalists roll their eyes. The new-age crowd scrolls, clicks, and buys tickets. In the end, both camps will tune in. Because whatever happens that night, win, lose, or laughable, one thing’s certain: boxing’s business is booming.