Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach Jr. fought to a draw in their WBA Lightweight World Title bout in Brooklyn. The fight ended with questions about a potential uncalled knockdown in the ninth round.
The judges scored the fight 115-113 for Davis and two 114-114 draws. As a result, Davis kept his WBA Lightweight World Title. But the controversy started when Davis took a knee in the ninth round. Referee Steve Willis didn't call it a knockdown.
Roach's team didn't agree with this decision. They've now asked the New York State Athletic Commission to look at the fight again. They want the result changed to a win for Roach.
The commission said they couldn't use replay on the night because of a "technical issue." They couldn't review the referee's decision right away. They'll give their final verdict soon.
The WBA has defended the referee's call. They said Willis' decision made sense. The WBA explained that Willis thought Davis wasn't hit by a punch before he went down. They also said the judges have to follow what the referee says about knockdowns.
"There's no evidence that the referee favored Davis," the WBA stated. "Willis was more concerned about the fighter's safety because Davis seemed to have an eye injury."
Even so, WBA President Gilberto Mendoza called the fight "very controversial."
Davis said he had trouble with his eye because of some hair grease from a recent appointment. He's now pushing for a rematch right away.
If the knockdown had been called and everything else stayed the same, Roach would have won. He would have pulled off a huge upset and taken the world title.
The New York State Athletic Commission is still looking into what happened. They might call for a rematch even if Davis doesn't want one.
