Boxing

Gervonta Davis' Coach Reveals Strategy To Beat Jake Paul's Size Advantage

One of Gervonta Davis' coaches spoke about how Tank will overcome Jake Paul's size advantage when they fight.
Grant Young|
IMAGO / Hoganphotos

The boxing world is still buzzing about the announcement that Gervonta "Tank" Davis is going to be fighting against Jake Paul on November 14, in Atlanta, Georgia.

While Paul and Davis have been circling each other for quite a while now (and even had a deal in place before Davis fought Lamont Roach on March 1), many in the boxing community were convinced this was all talk and that these two would never actually meet in the ring.

And the most obvious reason people were questioning this matchup is because of the gigantic size difference between them. Gervonta Davis is listed at 5'5" (although there's a case to be made that he's even shorter than that) and last fought at 135 pounds. Paul, on the other hand, is listed at 6'1" and last fought at 200 pounds against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. earlier this year.

Jake Paul is closing in to strike Julio Chavez Jr.'s face at the Honda Center in Anaheim California on June 29th, 2025.
Jake Paul is closing in to strike Julio Chavez Jr.'s face at the Honda Center in Anaheim California on June 29th, 2025. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

While there's no question that Gervonta has a skill and experience advantage over Paul, every boxing fan and pundit knows that weight classes exist for a reason. And given that Logan Paul was able to hold his own against a retired Floyd Mayweather during their exhibition in 2021, some don't think Davis stands a chance against Paul (especially in finishing him), given the size implications.

MORE: Insider Reveals Unusual Rules That Could Be Used In Gervonta Davis vs Jake Paul Fight

Gervonta Davis Coaches Speak on Jake Paul Size Advantages

It's no surprise to hear that Gervonta Davis' lengthy coaching staff, which includes Barry Hunter and Patrice Harris (who is better known as Boog) of The Headbangers Boxing Gym in Washington, D.C., is still backing their guy against Jake Paul. And one of these coaches got honest about how Davis will handle this size discrepancy during an August 21 interview with FightHype.

"Yeah. Well, I don't think Tank is gonna go in there and just go blow for blow with him," Coach Boog said when asked about Paul's size advantage. "He'll use his skills. And I think it's gonna be fun, man."

Coach Hunter added that while he understands Davis accepting this fight against Paul, he still wants the Lamont Roach rematch to happen at some point, and listed names like Shakur Stevenson as intriguing potential future opponents for Tank.

It's interesting to hear Coach Boog note that Davis is not going to try to stand and bang with Paul once they enter the ring. While providing entertainment seems to be the main focus for this exhibition bout, Davis still surely does not want to risk getting knocked out, given how that might impact the rest of his career.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.