Gervonta Davis kept his WBA Lightweight World Championship belt after a controversial draw against Lamont Roach Jr in Brooklyn. The judges scored the fight 115-113 for Davis and two 114-114 draws, but the result didn't come without dispute.
In the ninth round, Davis took a knee. Referee Steve Willis didn't call it a knockdown, which would have made it a 10-8 round for Roach. If the referee had counted it, Roach would have won the fight on points.
Roach's team tried to get the result changed, but the New York State Athletic Commission said no. Now, Davis will have to fight Roach again because of a rematch clause in their contract. They're aiming for late June.
Before this, Davis was set to face YouTuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul in an exhibition match. Dan Rafael from Fight Freaks Unite reported on this planned bout, but it's now off the table.
Paul, who's 28, has been busy looking for big-name opponents. He tried to set up a fight with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, but Canelo chose to stick with traditional boxing and signed a 4-fight deal with Riyadh Season instead.
"Canelo Alvarez ducked me. It's not surprising when his whole career he has done nothing for the sport of boxing outside the ring. I'm the new face of boxing,"Paul said after the failed negotiation.
Paul recently won a controversial points decision over 58-year-old Mike Tyson. He was ringside for the Davis-Roach fight, which got people talking. Davis didn't deny a future fight with Paul when asked in the post-fight press conference, adding fuel to the speculation.
For now, Davis must focus on his rematch with Roach. The controversial draw and the missed knockdown call will surely add extra heat to their second meeting.
