Gervonta Davis kept his undefeated record, but Terence Crawford thinks it shouldn't be that way. The WBA world lightweight champion fought to a split decision draw against Lamont Roach on March 1 at Barclays Center in New York.
The fight turned out to be closer than many expected. Roach, known as "The Reaper," put on the performance of a lifetime against 'Tank' Davis. The 29-year-old from Washington nearly dethroned the champion in a competitive 12-round match.
A controversial moment in the ninth round caught everyone's attention. Roach forced Davis to take a knee, but referee Steve Willis didn't count it as an official knockdown. This decision could have changed the outcome of the fight.
Pound-for-pound star Terence 'Bud' Crawford shared his thoughts on the bout during an interview with Club Shay Shay.
"I'm just as confused as you, I said 'Huh?', I was just like 'Ahh that's crazy'. And Steve Willis is a great referee, and he started counting then stopped."
Crawford believed Roach had the edge in the fight. He felt Davis came in overconfident and didn't take his opponent seriously. The undefeated champion's approach almost cost him his perfect record.
The controversial ninth round could have resulted in a 10-8 round for Roach. If counted, it might have tipped the scales and crowned a new WBA lightweight champion.
Fans can expect an announcement for a rematch between Davis and Roach in the coming weeks. There's also talk of a possible bout between Davis and YouTube sensation Jake Paul before the year ends.
