Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach fought to a draw in their lightweight title bout on March 1 at the Barclays Center in New York. The result surprised many fans who expected Davis to win easily.
The fight ended in controversy when Davis took a knee in the ninth round. The referee started to count but stopped, leaving Roach frustrated.
"Keep counting! Keep counting!" Roach yelled at the referee. "I was focused on the referee counting. When I look at him in the corner I'm like what is going on? I want this to be a knockdown because it should be. I asked him why did you stop counting?"
Davis claimed he had grease in his eye, but Roach felt he deserved a knockdown. A 10-8 round could have made Roach the new WBA lightweight champion.
The judges scored the fight 115-113 for Davis and 114-114 twice, resulting in a majority draw. Davis kept his WBA lightweight title, but Roach proved he could compete at the highest level.
After the fight, Roach's team appealed the result to the New York State Athletic Commission. The commission decided to keep the original decision.
The controversial ninth round became a major talking point. Roach explained his reaction to the referee's actions during that crucial moment, highlighting the potential impact on the fight's outcome.
This unexpected result shows that even in high-profile boxing matches, anything can happen. The draw leaves questions about what's next for both fighters in the competitive lightweight division.
