Gervonta Davis held onto his WBA lightweight title in a close fight against Lamont Roach Jr on Saturday night, ending in a majority draw. The match was filled with action, but a controversial moment in the ninth round almost cost Davis his unbeaten record.
Davis, who is 30 and nicknamed “Tank,” managed to breathe easy when the scores were read. One judge scored the fight 115-113 for him, while the other two judges had it even at 114-114. This result left Davis unbeaten, despite some people believing Roach had done enough to win.
The ninth round was particularly heated. Davis took a knee near the ropes, apparently seeking help for a problem with his eye. Under boxing rules, this should have been counted as a knockdown, and some believed it could have cost Davis the match. However, the referee allowed the fight to continue after a warning, a decision that many felt changed the outcome of the fight.
The atmosphere was intense, with a sold-out crowd of 19,250 at the Barclays Center voicing their opinions. Roach argued that if a count had started, he would have won. “It should have been a knockdown,” he said. “If he goes down, I win the fight.”
Roach, who had been granted special permission to fight Davis at 135 pounds while holding a title at 130, was determined to make a statement. Davis, known for being a slow starter, took his time in the early rounds, but Roach capitalized on that and landed several impressive punches. As the fight progressed, Davis began to pick up the pace, trying to break down Roach with power shots.
In the sixth round, Davis landed a solid right hand that seemed to awaken him, but Roach stood firm. The fight became more competitive, with Roach showing confidence and landing effective combinations. By the eighth round, he landed a powerful right uppercut that wobbled Davis, proving his ability to handle the champion’s punches.
The ninth round was the turning point, where the controversial knee incident happened. Following that moment, Davis came back swinging, but Roach remained composed and continued to land punches. As the fight headed into the championship rounds, both fighters gave it their all. Roach landed a crisp right hand in the eleventh round, further solidifying his strong performance.
After the fight, both Davis and Roach expressed interest in a rematch. Roach, who landed 28% of his punches compared to Davis’s 36.9%, felt he deserved another chance. “I want to run it back for sure,” he said confidently. Meanwhile, Davis acknowledged that he didn’t perform at his best and praised Roach’s skills. “It was a learned lesson. Hopefully we can run it back,” he stated, looking forward to the possibility of facing Roach again.
Check out this related article: Live Round-by-Round Updates: Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach Showdown
Source link