Sources: Jake Paul eyes Ryan Garcia to replace Gervonta Davis in Netflix fight

‘The problem child’ has a problem. He needs to find a new opponent quickly.

According to several media outlets, Jake Paul has targeted Ryan Garcia as a possible replacement for Gervonta Davis. Paul’s representatives reportedly made Garcia an offer to meet with Paul in December. two sources with knowledge of the offer said Sports illustrated.

A civil lawsuit against Davis has derailed the fight between Paul and Davis, scheduled for November 14. In the lawsuit, a woman accuses Davis of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping and intentional infliction of emotional distress after an incident at a Miami-area nightclub.

On Saturday, Most Valuable Promotions, which Paul owns and operates with his business partner Nakisa Bidarian, will host issued a statement regarding Davis’ legal troubles, saying in part, “We will make a decision on next steps once we complete our review and consult with the appropriate parties. Until then, we will make no further comment.”

Paul is reportedly looking for an affordable opponent to headline a fight streamed live on Netflix. That search led him to Garcia – a social media brand similar to Paul, with more than 12 million followers on Instagram.

Part of Garcia’s appeal may be his controversial past. In 2024, he destroyed then-undefeated Devin Haney, knocking down Haney three times in a majority decision victory. But a positive PED test after the fight made Garcia’s victory a no-contest. Garcia returned last May, losing a decision to Rolando Romero in a 147-pound title fight.

Garcia has publicly pushed for a fight with the YouTuber turned prizefighter, notably calling out Paul following Paul’s victory over Mike Tyson last year.

Garcia’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, took to social media Saturday to say a fight with Paul won’t go together. “Let me tell you why this fight isn’t happening. Ryan Garcia is fighting for DAZN and Jake Paul is fighting on Netflix. I mean, that’s pretty much the gist of it,” De La Hoya said.

The question then becomes: Who could replace Davis if Garcia can’t? The most obvious possibility is former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, who has been linked to Paul since the summer. But a Joshua-Paul probably won’t happen before the end of the year.

If Paul and David’s battle goes south – and it looks like it will – the biggest loser in all of this is Davis, whose once-promising career has been upended by multiple legal troubles, including other domestic violence arrests. A battery charge stemming from an alleged domestic dispute involving Davis was dropped this summer.