Gervonta Davis walked out of Barclay’s Center with his WBA lightweight world title intact, but the decision came with a heap of controversy.
‘Tank’ was the heavy favorite to come out on top against his opponent, current WBA super featherweight titleholder Lamont Roach, but the ‘The Reaper’ wasn’t going down without a fight. And for 12 rounds, he brought it to Davis, outstriking the undefeated superstar with a bevy of brutal combinations.
Still, Davis won enough of the early rounds with his methodical approach to establish a solid lead. However, Roach turned it on in the latter half of the fight and started to gain ground. The tide appeared to turn in the ninth round when during an exchange, ‘Tank’ inexplicably turned away and took a knee before rushing over to his corner.
Typically, that would be a 10 count, but the referee decided not to apply the rules to Davis and allowed him to wipe his face with nothing more than a warning for taking an unscheduled and unallowed time out.
The fight continued with Davis coming out strong and looking for a finish, but Roach would make it out of the round and continue to give ‘Tank’ everything he had through the final two rounds.
Official Result: Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach is ruled a majority draw (115-113, 114-114, 114-114)
After the ruling, Davis revealed that his unauthorized break was because he had just gotten his hair done before the fight and some of the grease had leaked into his eye.
Apparently, that is a strong enough reason to break the rules without consequence. Had the referee done his job and counted Davis’ kneel-down as a knockdown, Lamont Roach would be a two-division world champion. Instead, we’re left with a draw and a bad taste in our mouths courtesy of another controversial scorecard in the world of boxing.
