Gervonta Davis retained his WBA lightweight title after a controversial majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr on Saturday night at the Barclays Center. The fight’s outcome was clouded by a moment in the ninth round when Davis took a knee, a move that should have been ruled a knockdown but was overlooked by the referee.
The judges’ scorecards reflected how close the fight was, with one scoring it 115-113 for Davis while the other two had it even at 114-114. The decision allowed Davis to remain undefeated, though many believed Roach had done enough to secure the victory.
The ninth-round incident became the night’s biggest talking point. Davis, appearing to struggle with an issue in his eye, voluntarily took a knee and leaned against the ropes. According to the unified rules of boxing, any time a fighter touches the canvas with anything other than their feet, it is considered a knockdown. However, the referee only issued a warning, allowing Davis to continue.
Roach was vocal about the controversy, believing the decision cost him the win. “If that was counted as a knockdown, I win the fight,” he said. “But I’m not relying on just that moment—I thought I pulled it out.”
The fight began with Roach executing a sharp strategy, using movement and counterpunching to prevent Davis from settling into a rhythm. Davis, a known slow starter, struggled in the early rounds as Roach landed clean right hands. Even as the champion began to apply pressure in the middle rounds, Roach remained composed, absorbing Davis’ shots and returning fire with confidence.
Davis landed a powerful right hand in the sixth round, but Roach took it well and continued pressing forward. In the seventh, Roach stunned Davis with a straight right, forcing the champion to clinch. The fight remained competitive, with Roach often dictating the pace and throwing effective combinations.
A crucial moment arrived in the eighth when Roach landed a massive counter uppercut that wobbled Davis. Roach’s momentum carried into the ninth, where he landed a left hand before Davis suddenly took a knee. Whether it was from exhaustion, an issue with his mouthpiece, or vision impairment, the moment should have been scored as a knockdown. Instead, Davis received only a warning, an outcome that likely influenced the final result.
Frustrated, Davis responded aggressively in the later rounds, swinging wildly in an attempt to change the fight’s direction. Roach, however, remained composed, continuing to counter effectively. By the 11th round, he had established control, outworking an increasingly frustrated Davis.
In the final round, Davis tried to bait Roach into making a mistake, but Roach stayed disciplined, making the champion miss and landing just enough to maintain his edge.
After the fight, both fighters expressed interest in a rematch. Roach, who landed 112 of 400 punches (28%) compared to Davis’ 103 of 279 (36.9%), believed he had proven himself on the big stage. “I’ll be back,” he said.
Davis admitted his performance was not at its best but credited Roach’s skills. “I made it competitive,” he said. “He’s got skills, he’s got punching power. Hopefully, we can run it back.”
