By Sam Brookes
Copyright independent
The exhibition fight between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis is in jeopardy after MVP Promotions halted their attempts to get the fight sanctioned in Georgia.
It was announced last month that Paul and Davis will face each other at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on November 14.
However, Rick Thompson, chairman of the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission (GAEC), told USA Today that MVP Promotions do not have the necessary event permits and rule waivers for the fight to take place in Georgia under the state’s governance.
“I believe it’s in the public’s interest to know that because they’ve been promoting something they should not have been,” Thompson explained, as quoted by the BBC.
Pre-sale tickets were still on sale on Wednesday, despite Thompson’s claim that the fight will not be going ahead in Georgia.
The rules for the contest are still yet to be confirmed amid a huge size difference between Paul and Davis.
Paul’s last fight was at the cruiserweight limit of 200lbs, while Davis has never fought above 140lbs in his professional career.
Davis has agreed to face Paul rather than defending his lightweight world title, but the exhibition clash is now in doubt.
Thompson believes the agreed weight is likely to be the main issue that needs to clarified, with the GAEC set to vote on the matter on Thursday.
“They probably evaluated a situation – knew that their weight differences were too much,” Thompson added.
A news conference for the fight is due to take place in New York on Wednesday evening, followed by another one in Atlanta on Thursday.
This could give greater clarity on whether the controversial fight will take place or not.
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