Professional boxer Gervonta “Tank” Davis has always known how to command a room, whether it was the roaring tens of thousands at a sold-out arena or the millions watching his every move on social media. But, the narrative surrounding him recently shifted from pay-per-views (and a cancelled Jake Paul exhibition match on Netflix) to being wanted by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.
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The entire ordeal traces back to October 27, 2025. According to a civil lawsuit filed against the Baltimore native, Davis allegedly attacked Courtney Rossel—his ex-girlfriend of five months—at Tootsies Cabaret in Miami Gardens. Rossel, who was a cocktail server at the popular gentlemen’s club, alleged in the complaint that the boxer didn’t just assault her, but made threats on her life, BBC reported at the time.
Davis allegedly stormed the establishment and cornered Rossel while she was mid-shift, per the complaint obtained by ESPN. He’s accused of grabbing her by the back of the head, clutching her throat and forcefully dragging her through a stairwell and the club’s kitchen. The violence reportedly culminated in the parking garage, where Davis allegedly physically assaulted her away from eyewitnesses.
Authorities said they reviewed surveillance footage from the club that night, and what the video showed allegedly confirmed Rossel’s accusations. “The investigation determined that Mr. Davis used force to restrain in an attempt to remove the victim from the location against her will,” Miami Gardens Police Department executive officer Emmanuel Jeanty said at a briefing, ESPN reported.
Now, Davis is a wanted man by the feds and is considered a fugitive.
The World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion was charged with false imprisonment, battery and attempted kidnapping. A warrant was issued for his arrest. “At this time, the Miami Gardens Police Department is actively working with the United States Marshal’s fugitive task force to locate and apprehend Mr. Davis,” Jeanty said on Jan 14. “Domestic violence is a serious crime, and the Miami Gardens Police Department remains committed to holding offenders accountable and protecting victims.” But that’s not all.
Davis was stripped of his WBA lightweight title on Monday after his warrant became active, according to reports. However, Davis is still a champion in recess for now. The WBA vacating his active lightweight title is the polite, legalistic way to put a fighter’s career on “pause” while taking their physical belt away. The sanction is used when a champion can’t defend their title for a significant amount of time due to reasons outside of the boxing ring, typically legal issues, severe injury or illness.
His domestic violence allegations also led to the last-minute cancellation of his exhibition match against Jake Paul, which had been scheduled for November 14, 2025.
If Davis— who was previously arrested on simple battery charges in February 2020 and a criminal hit-and-run case in Baltimore in May 2023, amongst others— is convicted on all counts and a judge ordered the sentences to run consecutively, he could face up to 21 years in a Florida state prison.
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