Coach Greg Hackett says he considers the criticism Shakur Stevenson and Raymond Ford are receiving for helping Jake Paul prepare for the Nov. 14 exhibition game short-sighted. He points out that they have daughters and this is a business move by them to make money by helping Jake train at a “luxury” training facility in Puerto Rico.
Hackett sharply attacks critics
Gervonta Davis, Jake’s opponent in his November 14 exhibition match on Netflix, is currently in doubt amid modern domestic violence allegations. Jake and Netflix are looking for a replacement for the event. The event will take place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. Ryan Garcia is considered the favorite to replace Tank Davis if he is removed from the event.
“You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. Both of these guys have daughters,” coach Greg Hackett said YSM sports mediatalking about Ray Ford and Shakur Stevenson helping Jake Paul spar to prepare him for an exhibition match against an as-yet-to-be-determined opponent on November 14
Analysts believe: loyalty doesn’t pay the bills
It’s weird that people criticize Shakur and Ford for helping Jake Paul prepare for Tank or anyone else. Seeing this as a situation where they’re breaking the code doesn’t make any sense. Boxing is a business and these fighters are paid to assist Jake. This is a great opportunity for them to earn money and learn from a opulent millionaire. This is a win-win situation for Shakur and Ford.
There is no deep betrayal there because they owe nothing to Tank Davis or anyone who will be brought in as a replacement opponent. When did Tank fight one of them? If he blessed Stevenson and Ford with a fight, it could be seen as potentially a betrayal. This is not the case here.
“The weird thing is Jake Paul isn’t a real fighter. He’s not even 135 or 147. He’s a cruiserweight. Y’all are trying to assist him crush Tank [or whoever is brought in as a replacement]Hackett said.
The Avengers are assembling for Jake Paul
– You send the avengers to assist [Jake]. It’s like getting all the bullies together to assist that one kid who has no business being in the yard anyway. They will benefit from it too. But it looks like Jake Paul is doing his best.”
Cruiserweight Jake (12-1, 7 KO) hasn’t fought anyone at Tank Davis’ level in his five-year professional career. He had no chance for an amateur career. So he’s learning on the job and needs world-class professional fighters to assist him prepare for this key event on November 14. If Jake (28) shines in this fight, he could potentially face former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in 2026. That would be a huge payday.
Bottom line
Shakur and Ford make astute business moves by teaming up with charismatic self-made millionaire Jake Paul. This is an ideal situation for them, and it’s not one in which they will be disloyal to Tank Davis or whoever will be introduced as Jake’s opponent at the show on November 14. It’s work.
Oscar De La Hoya believes Gervonta Davis’ professional record should see a loss ahead of his potential comeback fight.
It is said that the 31-year-old is in negotiations for a fight for the WBA lightweight title with Floyd Schofield Jr, offering “Tank” the opportunity to regain his elderly belt.
Davis defended his world title after: controversial draw with Lamont Roach in March 2025, but has since become the sanctioning body’s “halt champion” at 135 pounds.
This is partly due to his passivity, but also to the American’s problems outside the ring, where he faced accusations of domestic violence.
However, it currently appears that Davis could return to action soon, with a potential fight with Schofield set for September or October.
These negotiations involve Schofield’s promoter, Golden Boy boss De La Hoya, who insists that “Tank” should suffer his first professional defeat in the match against Roach.
Their match ended in a draw after referee Steve Willis ruled against a knockdown in round nine when Davis clearly touched the canvas following a shot by Roach.
As a result, De La Hoya said Fighting Hub TV that Roach should have back-to-back victories over “Tank” and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, whom he boxed in December to a less controversial draw.
“Roach is a great fighter in his own right. He has some really good wins under his belt. I say he wins because I think he really won against ‘Tank’ Davis and I think he did a great job against ‘Pitbull.’
If Davis and Schofield’s respective teams are unable to reach an agreement by June 22, their mandate quarterback will be sent to a bidding hearing.
Potential negotiations between Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson have taken another public turn after Stevenson accused his rival of engaging in “false public negotiations” following Haney’s latest comments on social media.
Haney appeared frustrated after previously agreeing to Stevenson’s proposed catchweight of 144 pounds, suggesting that even accepting those terms did not bring the fight any closer to becoming a reality.
“144 is not enough…I still don’t want to fight! Damn…@ShakurStevenson,” Haney wrote X.
Shakur later responded by dismissing this public exchange as a impoverished reflection of how main event fights actually unfold.
“The same thing you all did with Rolly. All those counterfeit public negotiations… The real negotiations take place offline.” I am the truth that you will see when you stand before me!!” Shakur posted.
Shakiur previously considered 144 pounds to be a fair compromise in a potential showdown with Haney, who has competed at welterweight in his most recent outings. Haney then signaled his willingness to accept the catchweight offer, sparking optimism that one of boxing’s most talked-about fights could gain momentum.
The latest exchange came shortly after the WBO confirmed that Haney must either defend his welterweight title against mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis or risk losing the belt. While neither Haney nor Stevenson directly addressed the situation in their recent posts, the article did add another note to any future negotiations involving the former two-division world champions.
With Haney facing a WBO title decision and Shakur insisting that stern negotiations will take place behind closed doors, the pressure is now on both camps to determine whether the fight can go beyond an online exchange.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fight landscape. His reports focus on the most critical fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
Shakur Stevenson maintained his predictions for the Errol Spence Jr vs. Tim Tszyu fight, believing that one fighter would be too “mentally tough” for the other.
Even though Tszyu insisted on fighting at super welterweight, his opponent clearly felt the extra 4 pounds would be appropriate after his three-year layoff.
This long break came after Spence suffered a ninth-round stoppage loss to Terence Crawford, who became the undisputed king of the 147-pound division in surprisingly one-sided fashion.
Spence previously held the WBC, IBF and WBA titles with victories over Shawn Porter, Kell Brook and Yordenis Ugas, although a weight augment always seemed inevitable.
Now the 36-year-old hopes to revive his career against Tszyu, who is coming off a two-point win after losing to Sebastian Fundora last July.
While their rematch ended in the seventh round, Tszyu showed tremendous strength against Fundora in 2024, only to lose the WBO title via split decision.
Later that year, the Australian suffered a third-round defeat to Bakhram Murtazaliev, with four-division world champion Stevenson saying: The whole fight against smoke that he thinks Spence is a level above him.
“I think so [Spence] I will do well. I wish Errol all the best; I hope Errol goes in there and beats Tim Tszyu.
“I’m an Errol Spence fan; I was okay with Errol Spence before [Crawford] fight. I know Errol is mentally forceful – Errol is a dog when it comes to fighting, so I don’t think Tim Tszyu can beat him.
Stevenson previously suggested that Spence could “destroy” Tszyu, believing the 31-year-old’s style was tailor-made for “The Truth.”
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