Gervonta Davis retained his WBA lightweight title and undefeated record in a highly debated draw against Lamont Roach Jr., prompting immediate calls for a rematch from both fighters.
The fight went the full 12 rounds, after which the judges’ scores were split. One judge scored the bout 115-113 in favor of Davis, while the other two judges controversially scored it a 114-114 draw.
Davis acknowledged his performance was not his best but expressed willingness for a rematch in New York. “I made it competitive,” Davis stated. “Lamont is a great fighter with skills and punching power.”
He added, “It was a learning experience. Shout out to Lamont Roach and his team. Hopefully, we can do it again, for sure, back in New York.”
Despite retaining his title, Davis faced boos from the crowd at Barclays Center, while Roach received cheers as he also advocated for a second fight.
“I’m disappointed with the decision,” Roach commented. “I believed I won. But we can run it back. Gervonta is a great fighter.”
Roach continued, “I appreciate the opportunity to show the world, especially those who doubted me, what I can do. This is a win in my book, but we want a real win.”
The fight began cautiously, with both Davis, 30, and Roach, 29, feeling each other out. The intensity increased in the latter rounds.
Davis began to assert himself with power punches, but Roach countered effectively, meeting Davis’s aggression with his own combinations and left hooks.
A controversial moment occurred in the ninth round when Davis briefly went down after a jab from Roach. Despite Davis’s knee touching the canvas, the referee did not administer a count, allowing Davis to return to his corner.
The fight remained competitive to the end, with Roach finishing strongly, landing a significant left hook that arguably secured him a draw. Roach felt a knockdown should have been called, which could have changed the outcome to a victory for him.
“If you voluntarily take a knee and the ref start counting, it should be a knockdown,” Roach argued. “If that’s a knockdown, I win the fight. I thought I pulled it out.”
Davis explained the unusual moment by claiming that hair product had run into his eyes, causing irritation. “I just got my hair done two days ago and she put grease in my s***,” Davis said, addressing the crowd’s boos. “The grease was sweating and coming in my face, burning my eyes.”
Despite the controversy and mixed reactions from the crowd, both Davis and Roach seem keen on settling the score in a rematch.
