When news broke that YouTube star-turned-fighter Jake Paul would step into the ring with Gervonta "Tank" Davis, fans immediately debated whether size, experience, or money would drive the outcome.
But few voices on the matter carry the unique perspective of David "Flat" Sparks — a boxer who has trained alongside both men.
Sparks, speaking on his new show Let the Sparkz Fly on MRECKTV, didn’t mince words about what could decide the fight. “If [Tank] catch Jake Paul with a clean shot, he's very well capable of knocking him out,” Sparks said, recalling moments from the Mayweather Boxing Club where he saw Davis dismantle sparring partners much bigger than him.
Sparks spent four years training with Floyd Mayweather’s Money Team, sharing gyms with Davis during intense fight camps. He describes witnessing Davis stop middleweights and even heavyweights inside the notorious “dog house” sparring sessions. “I seen Tank stop all his sparring partners. I'm talking about some dudes big like heavyweight, middleweight — Tank stopping them,” Sparks explained.
That history, he argues, makes Paul vulnerable. The cruiserweight’s size won’t matter if Davis lands something flush: “If he catch a big man with a shot, he putting him out. I seen it with my own two eyes.”
But Sparks also warns against dismissing Paul. As one of Paul’s own sparring partners, he admits he initially underestimated him — and paid the price. “I was going light…and that’s when Sean caught me. Boom. That’s when I said, ‘Nah, I can’t play with him,’” Sparks recalled.
Since then, he says he’s come to respect Paul as a legitimate fighter who trains hard and takes punches without quitting. “He’s not going to cry when he gets hit. He’s going to fight back and he’s going to try to hurt you,” Sparks said.
That mentality, combined with Davis’ world-class skills, is what makes the matchup compelling.
The bout is scheduled as an exhibition and will stream live on Netflix from Atlanta, with a projected purse for Davis in the nine-figure range. Sparks believes that, regardless of the outcome, it will bring new audiences to boxing.
But if there’s one scenario that could end the night early, it’s clear: a single clean shot from Tank.