NYSAC Explains ‘Technical Issue’ Behind Controversial No-Call on Davis Knee Injury

The New York State Athletic Commission is looking into the recent WBA lightweight title fight between Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach in Brooklyn. It ended in controversy when Davis took a knee in Round 9 after Roach landed a punch. Referee Steve Willis began to count but stopped at three without declaring a knockdown.

If Willis had called it a knockdown, Roach would have won. Instead, the bout ended in a draw. Davis was heavily favored to win, with odds at -2000.

Two judges scored the fight 114-114, while the third favored Davis at 115-113. A commission spokeswoman explained that there was a technical issue that prevented them from reviewing video replay in time. As a result, they had to rely on the referee’s decision.

Davis, known as “Tank,” explained he took a knee because grease from a hair treatment was dripping into his eyes. Interestingly, his corner was allowed to wipe his eyes, which is normally against the rules. This incident isn’t the first issue for the New York commission; last year, Ryan Garcia’s win over Devin Haney was overturned after Garcia tested positive for a banned substance.

Garcia reacted to the Davis-Roach outcome by questioning whether the commission only makes changes after complaints, suggesting fairness should be applied across the board.

Notably, the fight contract included a rematch clause for Davis if he didn’t win. He expressed interest in a rematch as soon as late May. Roach believes that if taking a knee warrants a count, it should have been a knockdown, which would have changed the outcome in his favor.

Now, Roach remains the WBA titleholder at 130 pounds and is ranked No. 5 in the junior lightweight category by ESPN. Davis, meanwhile, is ESPN’s top-rated lightweight and sits at No. 8 in the pound-for-pound rankings.

Source link