Knockdown controversy allows Tank to keep 135 title in draw vs. Roach
Fighters call for immediate rematch after referee, replay official blow call
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Gervonta “Tank” Davis retained the WBA lightweight title via majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr. thanks to one of the most controversial calls in recent boxing history on Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Judge Eric Marlinski scored it 115-113 for Davis while judges Glenn Feldman and Steve Weisfeld both had it 114-114, as did Fight Freaks Unite.
However, the result of the main event of a PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view turned on an extremely unusual situation that unfolded in the ninth round that had featured fiery exchanges in which both men landed hard shots.
With 2 minutes, 17 seconds remaining, Roach fired a right hand followed by two left jabs. While it is unclear what magnitude any of the punches landed with, what was clear is that Davis turned away and took a knee for an obvious and textbook knockdown.
Davis quickly rose, sprinted to his corner, shouted something, and Calvin Ford, one of his trainers, came up the ring steps and quickly toweled off his face, which is against the rules and could have been grounds for a point deduction or disqualification.
Simultaneously, referee Steve Willis, who had sent Roach to a neutral corner, began to administer the standard eight-count for a knockdown and then suddenly stopped.
Willis, who was wearing a microphone, shouted at Davis, “What’s going on?” Davis said something back to him and Willis responded, “I understand. You take a knee like that and it looks like a knockdown, alright?” And then he patted Davis on the chest and called for the action to resume in a shocking turn of events.
The ringside replay official then reviewed the sequence as provided by the production truck but declined to intervene even though the knockdown appeared clear as day.
Had it been ruled a knockdown, under the criteria of the Association of Boxing Commissions, all three judges would have scored the round 10-8 in favor Roach, who would have won a unanimous decision — 115-112, 114-113 and 114-113.
And with that Roach, the reigning WBA junior lightweight titlist, who moved up in weight to challenge Davis, would have claimed the 135-pound world title. He also would have handed the biggest American boxing star his first defeat and commanded many more millions of dollars than he stands to earn off a draw and having not been crowed a lightweight champion.
Davis’ explanation for taking a knee?