“First, I am going to kill David, then I will go on to slaughter Goliath.” Jake Paul’s two-day-old tweet featured a fight poster showing him alongside Gervonta Davis. The showdown of two top draws is set for November at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. By ‘David,’ he meant Tank. By ‘Goliath,’ he meant Anthony Joshua. Though the bout is an exhibition and the rules remain undisclosed, it has already raised plenty of doubts. After all, when does a 200-pound cruiserweight face a 135-pound lightweight in the same ring?

Still, before anyone jumps the gun, Gervonta Davis‘ camp urges caution. In an interview, trainers Barry Hunter and Braylen ‘Boog’ Williams broke it down. To make their case, they turned to history and cited moments when boxing legends entertained crowds by facing unlikely opponents. Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki was one such example. In 1976, before his trilogy fight and title defense against Ken Norton, Ali stepped into the ring with a Japanese pro wrestler.

Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis – A showstopper, not a title shot

The trainers made their case when Fight Hype’s Ron Goodall asked for their thoughts on the Jake Paul-Gervonta Davis fight. Goodall pointed to Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul, the Ali-Inoki spectacle, and Manny Pacquiao’s exhibition bouts. “Some people feel upset because they feel otherwise, that you should probably fight professional fighters,” he said. The question sent coach Barry Hunter down memory lane. “It’s funny you brought that up because I remember many moons ago watching Ali in an exhibition like that against a Japanese wrestler,” he recalled.

What mattered, Hunter stressed, was the purpose. He watched the Ali-Inoki fight for what it was – entertainment. “It was entertainment. It was an exhibition,” he said. “The crowds seem to get a kick out of it, you know, and that’s it. And that’s all.” The fight never changed his view of Ali’s greatness. And by the same logic, Hunter argued, one cannot deny Jake Paul’s ability to draw crowds.

One aspect of the fight still hung in the air. Goodall noted that whether it’s labeled an exhibition or not, Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis will trade punches. “I feel like they’re going to actually fight, you know? I think Jake’s going to try to throw a bomb,” he said.

This time, Boog Williams stepped in. And for those reading between the lines, his words carried a hint.

A Tyson rerun? Not quite

“I think it’s going I think it’s going to be a good exhibition,” Williams said. But he stressed it would differ from the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson bout. “I don’t think it’s going to be what you saw in Tyson and Jake Paul. You know what I’m saying? You know, man, Tyson is a little old in age now, but you know, like, I’ve been seeing Tank spar with bigger guys. So, I think it’ll be—it’s going to be a good one,” Williams said.

Ron Goodall then suggested Jake Paul might look for ways to test Davis. Williams speculated that Tank would avoid a blow-for-blow exchange. Instead, he would rely on his ring generalship to outsmart the Ohioan. All in all, “it’s going to be fun.”

The views of Tank’s team are understandable. Still, not everyone is convinced. In a scathing critique, boxing insider Rick Glaser drew comparisons between Tank and Floyd Mayweather. The difference, he argued, is that Mayweather only entered the exhibition scene after building a storied legacy. Tank, by contrast, risks being blamed for sidestepping a rematch with Lamont Roach Jr., a unification fight with Shakur Stevenson, or a clash with top contender Floyd Schofield Jr.

And that’s what most fans will be watching. With talk of retirement in the air, the question remains: after the Jake Paul money-spinner, will Gervonta Davis return to honor those fights?

Do you agree with Coach Hunter and Boog Williams?