Seven months have passed since their first fight, but Lamont Roach cannot hide his frustration. The WBA super featherweight champion believes that Gervonta Davis disrespected him as a rival and as a professional, after postponing the rematch twice and finally discarding it altogether to fight an exhibition against Jake Paul.
“I really feel a little disrespected, at least on the business side. Just because business is not done that way,” Roach told Inside The Ring. “For the integrity of the sport, it’s like saying, ‘Now you’re playing with the sport.’ Come on, man. I just think this is a little weird.”
Although Davis activated his rematch clause after the controversial draw on March 1, he never followed through. The fight was initially postponed from June 21 to August 16 and then canceled in favor of an exhibition event against Jake Paul, scheduled for November 14 in Miami.
Fans and judges divided: the controversy behind the Davis vs Roach draw
The first meeting between the two ended in bitter disappointment for Roach and many fans. At the Barclays Center, the majority draw left doubts. One judge saw Davis as the winner by 115-113, while the other two gave 114-114. Roach, however, believes he deserved the victory, especially because of a fall that was not officially counted in the ninth round when Gervonta kneeled claiming to have a substance in his eye.
I’ve been to Baltimore, I’ve had lunch there and all I hear is, ‘Why is that man avoiding you?’ I try to let it go, but it’s hard because that’s what everybody’s talking about
Without the rematch, Roach decided to look ahead and will take on a new challenge on December 6 against Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz in San Antonio, moving up five pounds to contest the WBC interim super lightweight title.
Lamont Roach not only feels that he lost an opportunity in the ring, but also was the victim of a media game that, according to him, detracts from the credibility of the sport. Now he is looking for his performance against Pitbull Cruz to speak louder than any broken contract.
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