Gervonta 'Tank' Davis and Lamont Roach Jr fought to a majority draw in their WBA lightweight title bout at the Barclays Center in New York. The outcome surprised many, as Davis had been expected to add another knockout to his impressive record.
Davis entered the ring with a string of stoppage wins over top names like Ryan Garcia, Frank Martin, Rolly Romero, and Leo Santa Cruz. But Roach proved to be a tougher challenge than anticipated, making the fight competitive for all 12 rounds.
The scorecards reflected the close nature of the contest. One judge scored it 115-113 for Davis, while the other two had it even at 114-114, resulting in a majority draw.
A controversial moment occurred when Davis took a knee during the fight. The referee didn't score it as a knockdown, with Davis claiming he had grease in his eye. Had it been ruled a knockdown, Roach would have won the fight and claimed the WBA lightweight title.
After the bout, Roach shared his thoughts on Davis's power. He told Boxing News:
"I can see why he knocked some guys out for sure."
The close nature of the fight has led to talks of a rematch. Promoter Garry Jonas recently stated:
"Very close. In my mind, it's a done deal, but there are formalities, but it's a done deal, and it's not far off. I can't give you more than that right now, but I can tell you is that it's going to be an interesting fight."
As fans eagerly await official confirmation of the rematch, questions remain about what exactly Roach said to the referee during the controversial moments of the first encounter. The answers to these questions could add another layer of intrigue to an already compelling rivalry.
