WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis walked out of a Miami-Dade County jail Thursday after posting $16,000 bond, ending a dramatic 24-hour period that saw the boxing star arrested following a two-week search by law enforcement.
Gervonta “Tank” Davis Released on Bond After Miami Arrest
Davis, 31, was apprehended Wednesday night in Miami’s Design District by U.S. Marshals and Miami Gardens police, ending a manhunt that began January 14 when an arrest warrant was issued. He faces charges of attempted kidnapping, false imprisonment and battery stemming from an alleged October 27, 2025 incident at Tootsies Cabaret in Miami Gardens.
The charges follow allegations made by Courtney Rossel, Davis’ ex-girlfriend, who filed a civil lawsuit October 31 claiming the boxer attacked her at the gentleman’s club where she worked as a VIP cocktail server. Police reviewed surveillance footage from the venue that authorities say corroborates key aspects of Rossel’s account, showing Davis grabbing her by the hair and throat before forcing her down a stairwell toward a parking garage.
Davis appeared in bond court Thursday, where a judge ordered him to stay away from the alleged victim and have no contact with her directly or indirectly. His attorney, Simon Steckel, defended the boxer aggressively, claiming Davis is “actually a victim” and promising to expose what he called “a level of criminality” in the case. The defense suggested extortion attempts were made, claiming they possess emails, text messages and photographs to support their position.
Rossel’s legal team rejected those allegations, stating their client reported the incident to police before filing any civil lawsuit and made no financial demands. Her attorney, Richard Wolfe, confirmed that surveillance video evidence supports the claims and that they are seeking compensatory and punitive damages exceeding $50,000.
The arrest has already had significant professional consequences for Davis. In mid-January, the WBA moved him to “champion in recess” status and indicated plans to declare the lightweight title vacant. The organization had held the belt since 2019, though he was upgraded to full champion status only in 2023. Davis holds a 30-0-1 record with 28 knockouts, with his only blemish coming from a controversial majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr. in March 2025.
The legal troubles also cost Davis a lucrative exhibition match against Jake Paul that was scheduled for November 14, 2025 at the Kaseya Center in Miami. Most Valuable Promotions canceled the Netflix-streamed event after Rossel’s lawsuit was filed, with Paul calling Davis “an actual walking human piece of garbage” and a “woman abuser” in social media statements.
This arrest marks the fourth time Davis has faced battery charges and continues a troubling pattern of domestic violence allegations. He was arrested on similar charges in 2020 and 2022, though both cases were eventually dropped when alleged victims declined to press charges. In 2025, another domestic violence case against him was dismissed after the accuser chose not to prosecute.
Davis is currently on probation from a 2023 hit-and-run conviction in Baltimore that left four people injured, including a pregnant woman, in November 2020. He received 90 days of house arrest and three years of probation for fleeing the scene but later violated terms of his sentence and served additional jail time. Baltimore Circuit Judge Althea M. Handy criticized Davis at sentencing for showing “absolutely no remorse” and failing to apologize to his victims.
