The WBA is pushing for a rematch between Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach Jr. following their highly controversial draw on Saturday.
Davis managed to retain both his WBA lightweight title and undefeated record, but referee Steve Willis may have played a crucial role in preventing his defeat.
In the ninth round, Davis took a knee after a punch from Roach and hurried to his corner to have his face wiped.
He later claimed that grease from his hair was stinging his eyes. Although Willis reprimanded him at the time, he did not rule it as a knockdown—nor did the judges.
Had the knockdown been acknowledged, Roach would have won the round 10-8 on all three scorecards, securing a victory over “Tank” in Brooklyn.
“I think it’s not going to be [a] doubt about having a rematch on this,” WBA president Gilberto Mendoza told The Ring. “[I] think this supersedes the public perception of boxing involved here with a huge star for the sport, and we need to send a strong message out there. It was a very controversial night.
“Maybe [Willis] saw a competitive fight. Maybe he saw it wasn’t a punch, but how can you understand how he put the knee on the canvas?”
Mendoza pointed out that Davis didn’t immediately take a knee after Roach’s punch landed, highlighting the delay in his reaction.
“It should have been a knockdown,” Roach said after the fight. “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 tweeted: “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[ith] 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!”
After the fight, Davis had said: “To be honest, I really made it competitive. 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.”
