Gervonta Davis retained his WBA lightweight title after a majority draw against Lamont Roach on Saturday night. The fight was marked by controversy, with a potential knockdown not called, which could have cost Davis his undefeated record.
One judge scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Davis, while the other two judges scored it 114-114, resulting in a majority draw.
In the ninth round, Davis briefly went down on a knee near his corner and leaned on the ropes to seemingly recover. Referee Steve Willis did not count it as a knockdown, a decision that drew criticism as a knee touching the canvas typically constitutes a knockdown and results in a point deduction. Had it been ruled a knockdown, Davis would have lost a point.
The crowd of 19,250 at Barclays Center voiced their displeasure with boos when Davis explained his need for a break, stating that grease from his hair had gotten into his eye.
Roach, moving up from the 130-pound division, came close to winning the title in a second weight class but ultimately fell short. This fight marks Roach’s second professional loss, adding to his record of 25 wins and 2 draws.
Despite being the favorite, Davis acknowledged Roach’s skill prior to the fight, recognizing him as the most skilled opponent he has faced and an ‘A-plus fighter’.
Roach landed more punches than Davis during the fight and showcased power that belied his record of only 10 knockouts. Roach and his team were visibly upset after the decision and called for a rematch, particularly due to the disputed knockdown in the ninth round.
Up until the ninth round incident, the fight was closely contested. If the knockdown had been called, Roach could have potentially won the round 10-8. Davis, however, recovered after the break and finished the round strongly.
This fight was only the third time in Gervonta Davis’s career that he did not secure a victory by knockout, and he never appeared close to stopping Roach. Davis started the fight cautiously, landing only one punch in the first round, improved in the middle rounds, but Roach finished the stronger of the two, ultimately leading to the majority draw.
