Gervonta Davis held onto his WBA lightweight title when he and Lamont Roach fought to a majority draw on Saturday night, with a potential missed knockdown keeping Davis from what would have been the first loss of his career.
One judge gave the fight to Davis 115-113, while the other two scored it 114-114.
Davis (30-0-1) willingly went to a knee near his corner in the ninth round, then leaned over the ropes so they could towel off the area around his eye. Referee Steve Willis did not count it as a knockdown, as it should be when a knee hits the canvas. Had it been, Davis would have automatically lost a point.
The sold-out crowd of 19,250 at Barclays Center booed after when Davis explained that it was grease from his hair that got in his eye that caused him to stop for assistance.
Roach (25-1-2) fell just short in his attempt to add a belt in a second weight class after the 130-pound champion moved up to the 135-pound limit.
Baltimore-based Davis was a heavy favourite with bookmakers coming into the fight, but understood the calibre of his opponent, and had called Roach – an opponent in the amateur ranks from nearby Washington – the most-skilled fighter he had faced, rating him an “A-plus fighter.”
And nearly a lightweight champion, on a night he landed more punches than Davis and stung him a few times with right hands, showing power that was rarely on display while he racked up just 10 knockouts in his career.
Roach (right) demanded a rematch following the decision
Roach called for a rematch afterward, disgusted that he was not credited with the knockdown in the ninth round.
The fight had been close up to that point, and had the knockdown been called, Roach could have won the round by a 10-8 score. Instead, Davis finished the round strong after his brief break.
It was only the third time in Davis’ career he didn’t stop his opponent and he never really got close. He started cautiously, landing just one punch in the first round, surged in the middle of the fight but then Roach closed well to claim the draw.
