Lamont Roach Jr nearly pulled off a huge upset against Gervonta 'Tank' Davis on March 1 in New York. The fight ended in a split decision draw after 12 exciting rounds, marking the closest anyone has come to defeating the WBA lightweight champion.
The 29-year-old from Washington, D.C. put on a career-best performance against Davis, a three-weight world champion. The boxing community was left in disbelief when referee Steve Willis didn't count an official knockdown in the ninth round. Davis took a knee after receiving a jab from Roach, but Willis didn't rule it as such.
After the fight, Roach tried to get in touch with Davis. He explained his attempts on the Come And Talk 2 Me podcast:
"Look man, I'm gonna tell you. I called his phone, he must have changed his number or something. I didn't get no response, maybe he's on his thing right now."
Roach wanted to discuss a bet they reportedly made before the contest. When he couldn't reach Davis by phone, he tried another approach:
"I called him, and then I DM'd him and told him 'I called you, call me back'. I didn't necessarily say about the money, but I just told him 'call me back'."
The close nature of the fight and the controversial decision have left fans questioning whether Roach should have won. Many believe he deserved the victory, especially considering the ninth-round incident.
A rematch between Davis and Roach will likely be announced in the coming weeks. Boxing insiders expect the fight to take place in May or June, giving both fighters a chance to settle the score definitively.
