Gervonta Davisdefended his WBA lightweight title against Lamont Roach Jr. on Saturday night, March 1st at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The fight started at a slow pace with both fighters knowing each other’s strategies until Gervonta started throwing more punches in front of his opponent.
Unfortunately for him, Lamont Roach Jr. was very smart and didn’t fall easily to his southpaw, and he ended up winning a few rounds and proving that he wasn’t just there to collect a paycheck, but to have the fight of his life.
As the fight continued to unfold, Lamont left everyone with their mouths agape, and also shut down some who had belittled him in all the previous fights, pointing out that he was no good, and if they still had any doubts about his skills, it would be best to see the rematch.
The fight had a bittersweet ending, especially for those who paid a ticket, as Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach Jr. had a sad draw, and when the result was announced, a heavy rain of boos filled the Barclays Center.
In the end, the judges scored the fight as follows 115-113 for Gervonta, and the other 2 judges scored it 114-114. The result was a draw, but it helped Davis keep his WBA belt.
The controversy
Not only was the result controversial, as some saw Lamont Roach Jr. as the winner, but something completely unexpected happened in round 9 of the fight.
In the middle of the round, Roach managed to land a crushing blow to Davis‘ face, which was described by some as an “upset punch”. Gervonta showed an obvious reaction to the blow by dropping to his knees and briefly touching the canvas.
Although what happened could have been interpreted as a knockdown under boxing rules, the referee surprised everyone by not initiating the protective count. Instead, Davis immediately rose to his feet and made his way to his corner, where he grabbed a towel.
After the fight, Gervonta was asked why he did it, the boxer simply said he got grease in his eyes from his hair, the arena booed him for trying to justify himself, and Davis didn’t take it very well and replied: “Damn, why are you booing me like I’m talking nonsense? They love you and then they hate you,” he said.
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