NYSAC reviewing controversial Round 9 of Tank-Roach
Claims technical issue prevented replay official from reviewing the video, but production personnel dispute that
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The New York State Athletic Commission said on Monday that it is reviewing the controversial ninth round of the majority draw between WBA lightweight titleholder Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Lamont Roach Jr., the WBA junior lightweight titlist, who moved up in weight to challenge Davis in the main event of a PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view on Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The commission also blamed faulty technology for its inability to have the ringside replay official, alternate referee Ricky Gonzalez, review the video of the sequence in question, but that was disputed by production personnel.
With 2 minutes, 17 seconds remaining in the ninth round, Roach fired a right hand followed by two left jabs, the second of which appeared to connect with Davis’ right eye. Davis immediately turned away and took a knee for what appeared to be a textbook knockdown.
Referee Steve Willis initially ruled it a knockdown. He sent Roach to a neutral corner, picked up the count from the timekeeper and began to administer the mandatory eight-count.
As Willis was counting, Davis rushed to his corner, where Calvin Ford, one of his trainers, came up the ring steps — a rules violation that is grounds for a disqualification — and, at Davis’ request, wiped down his face with a white towel, another blatant rules violation.