Lamont Roach Jr and Gervonta 'Tank' Davis got into a surprising draw in their recent lightweight bout. The fight ended with Davis keeping his WBA Lightweight belt, but not without some drama.
The judges couldn't agree on a winner. One scored it 115-113 for Davis, while the other two called it even at 114-114. This result shocked many, as Roach was seen as the underdog going into the fight.
But the real talking point came in the ninth round. Davis took a knee and went to his corner, saying he got grease in his eye from a recent haircut. Referee Steve Willis started to count, then stopped, gave Davis a warning, and let his corner wipe his face.
"Hell no. No, he can't do the next fight … Look at how many times he f***ed the fight up. The knee, him going to the corner to get assistance."
Roach said this on the It Is What It Is podcast, making it clear he doesn't want Willis as the referee for their rematch. He thinks Willis made big mistakes by not disqualifying Davis or stopping the fight when Davis seemed to quit.
After the fight, Roach tried to get the New York State Athletic Commission to change the result, but they said no. Now, both sides say they're ready for a rematch, likely at the end of June.
Roach moved up from super-featherweight for this fight and showed he could hang with Davis. He's ready to go again, saying, "I'mma tell you right now, I'm signed and sealed. We waiting on the other half, that's all."
The first fight was full of surprises, and fans will be eager to see what happens in round two between these lightweight rivals.
