Gervonta Davis Turns to Costly Hometown Tradition to Salvage Reputation Amid Jake Paul Fight Fallout

The whole world is talking about Gervonta Davis and his upcoming exhibition fight against YouTuber-turned-boxer, Jake Paul. It certainly came as a surprise to see two vastly different weight-class fighters agreeing to throw down some fisticuffs later in November. But in the meantime, ‘Tank’ seemed to have been occupied with his business outside of the squared circle in Baltimore.

Gervonta Davis, a West Baltimore native, gathered hundreds of children together at the Robert C. Marshall Recreation Center‘s basketball courts. The boxing star gave away backpacks and had fun, including having dance-offs. It’s an annual tradition, the Back-To-School drive, that Davis has been hosting in partnership with Unlimited Potential, a non-profit outfit. This comes at a time when the ‘Tank’ has been on the receiving end of some harsh criticism for taking on Jake Paul in a fight that offers him good money, rather than taking on a reputable boxer.

But despite the backlash, Gervonta Davis has not forgotten his tradition, as two of his coaches mentioned the importance of giving back to society. “It’s like the day before Christmas [for the kids in school], you know what I mean? They’re happy as they can be, and that’s what it’s about,” Kenny Ellis told Fight Hype. Meanwhile, Davis’ primary coach, Calvin Ford, added, “You know, grace of God, GTD, and everybody that supports us, man, in Baltimore, man. This is what it’s all about at the end of the day. [We’re] showing the youth that we can come together and work together.”

Well, backpacks weren’t the only thing that the kids in Baltimore got during the event. Gervonta Davis’s GTD Cares Foundation and DTLR, a retailer, collaborated in giving away around 350 pairs of sneakers, as well as other free school supplies and food among the kids, to steer clear of the legal run-ins he’s had in the past. But when it comes to his fight against Jake Paul, Gervonta Davis has been warned about meeting a brutal fate.

Will Jake Paul “hurt” Gervonta Davis? Amir Khan weighs in

Britain’s own former light welterweight champion, Amir Khan, is very skeptical about the exhibition fight between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis. The obvious 80+ pounds difference in their weight is perhaps the most alarming thing to comprehend, and Khan is sure that there is no way for Davis to avoid getting beaten up by the heavier Paul. All this seems a bit too “desperate” on ‘Tank’s side, as per the former boxing champion.

“Jake Paul, in my opinion, is going to hurt Gervonta Davis. Davis is a tiny little man compared to Paul. I think it’s a big mismatch,” Amir Khan told the BBC. “It shows to me that Tank’s acting desperate by taking a fight like that. One day someone is going to get hurt so badly. No-one wants to mess about in the MMA cage, but they’re taking boxing so lightly and they’re taking it as a joke.”

Well, the fight is still months away, and it will be interesting to see what kind of developments we get to see before Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis share the ring. It will be ‘Tank’s first exhibition fight ever, so it may not be that competitive of a fight, or will it? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.