NEW YORK — Cheers turned to boos as Gervonta Davis faced disapproval from a record crowd at Barclays Center. In an unusual turn of events, the crowd, known for supporting the popular champion, had little sympathy for his predicament. During the middle of a critical round, “Tank” dropped to one knee, requesting a makeshift timeout after hair grease reportedly seeped into his eye. Despite his explanation, his opponent, Lamont Roach, expressed skepticism.
Roach nearly claimed the WBA lightweight championship title when Davis’ knee hit the canvas in the ninth round, which could have been counted as a knockdown. However, the fight concluded in a majority draw, preserving Davis’ undefeated record at 30-0-1. With one judge favoring Davis 115-113, the other two judges scored it even at 114-114.
The ninth round saw Davis lean over the ropes to receive assistance from his corner, with referee Steve Willis failing to credit Roach with a knockdown. Had it been declared, Davis would have lost a valuable point. Roach, confident in what he believed was a missed opportunity, said, “It should have been a knockdown. If that was a knockdown, I win the fight.” Notable boxer Terence Crawford noted the inconsistency on social media, drawing attention to the oversight.
Roach’s attempt to secure a championship in a second weight class fell just short, despite challenging Davis with impressive skill. Predictably, Davis faced Roach, whom he had considered his most skilled opponent, more difficult than bookmakers anticipated, having significantly underestimated Roach’s capabilities.
“I’m a little disappointed in the decision. I thought I pulled it out,” Roach remarked, expressing a desire for a rematch. Had the knockdown been validated, it might have shifted the fight in Roach’s favor. Instead, Davis finished the ninth round effectively, turning a potential 10-8 round for Roach into a 10-9 for Davis across two scorecards.
Throughout his career, Davis has rarely failed to stop opponents, with this bout marking only the third time he didn’t secure a stoppage. He took a tentative start, briefly displayed dominance in the middle rounds but concluded with Roach finishing strong. Davis acknowledged Roach’s capabilities, saying, “For sure, Lamont is a great fighter. He got the skills, like I said before, and the punching power. It was a lesson learned.”
Despite the initial acclaim from fans, who joyously welcomed Davis into the ring donning a Yankees hat, the ending was met with disappointment. “They love you, then they hate you. Then they love you again,” Davis reflected philosophically after the fight.
The Associated Press scored the final rounds favorably for Davis, claiming his persistence and clean shots made a difference. Davis stressed his cautious approach: “I think I pulled it out in the last three rounds for sure. I was catching him with some clean shots. I feel I was breaking him down.”
Before the main event, two significant super lightweight matchups took place. Gary Antuanne Russell secured the WBA belt after convincingly outboxing Jose Valenzuela. Also, Alberto Puello remained unbeaten and defended his WBC title against Sandor Martin in a tight contest.
In other news, former unified 154-pound champion Jarrett Hurd announced his retirement following a narrow loss to Johan Gonzalez in a middleweight clash.
