Gervonta Davis has explained why he bizarrely took a knee during his fight against Lamont Roach Jr on Saturday night, saying the “grease” in his hair was “burning” his eyes.
Davis maintained his undefeated record and with it his WBA lightweight title after the fight was scored a majority draw, with the judges scoring the contest 115-113 to Davis, 114-114 and 114-114.
In the ninth round, Davis paused after a jab to the head and then took a knee, before walking to his corner to wipe his face. Referee Steve Willis did not call it a knockdown, despite Roach Jr’s protestations, and none of the three judges recorded it as such.
Davis was subsequently criticised for the move, which some fans on social media claimed should have been ruled a knockdown. Rules state that a knockdown can only be awarded when a fighter touches the canvas with a part of the body that isn’t their feet “as a result of a legal blow or a series of legal blows”, and there was a significant gap between the punch and Davis taking the knee.
Afterwards, Roach said the referee made the wrong call.
“It should have been a knockdown,” he said. “If that was knockdown, I win the fight. He’s saying grease got in his eye, but if he takes a knee and the ref starts counting, it should be a knockdown. It is what it is. I’m not banking on that knockdown to win. I just thought I pulled it out.”
Davis insisted he should have won the fight and that taking the knee may have scuppered his victory, posting later on social media: “They took the fight from me and made it a draw becuz I did that bulls*** knee..but I landed the most punches in the fight..he didn’t even hit me w a punch when I took the knee. I get it though, I shouldn’t have done that but that hair grease was burning my eyes!” CompuBox showed Roach outlanding Davis, despite his fellow American’s claim.
Both fighters called for a rematch. “I want to run it back for sure,” said Roach. “I’ll be back on the grand stage again, where I belong.”
“To be honest, I really made it competitive,” Davis said. “Lamont is a great fighter. He’s got the skills, he’s got punching power. It was a learned lesson. Shout out to Lamont Roach and his whole team. Hopefully we can run it back.”
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