Gervonta Davis has defended his decision to take a knee during his WBA lightweight title fight against Lamont Roach Jr., claiming that hair product running into his eyes forced him to seek relief.
The bout, held at Barclays Center in New York, ended in a majority draw, allowing Davis to retain his title. One judge scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Davis, while the other two ruled it 114-114.
However, many believed Roach had done enough to secure victory, particularly after Davis voluntarily went down in the ninth round before seeking assistance from his trainer.
Roach, who was making his lightweight debut as the WBA super featherweight champion, expressed his disappointment with the ruling. Speaking at a press conference, he stated, “The rules say if you take a knee voluntarily, it’s an automatic count. But it is what it is. I felt I was in control and landing more power shots.”
Terence Crawford also weighed in on X, arguing that Roach was “robbed” and stating, “Never seen someone take a knee and they don’t count it as a knockdown.”
Some of yall need to watch Mayweather vs Hernandez and see Mayweather take a knee because he hurt his hand and it was called a knock down and not from a punch either.
— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) March 2, 2025Boxing journalist Dan Rafael also took to X, calling the decision not to grant a knockdown an “utter disgrace.”
Davis defended his actions, saying on X, “He didn’t even hit me with a punch when I took the knee. That hair grease was burning my eyes!” Despite the controversy, Davis maintains that he landed the most punches and deserved the win.
While Davis keeps his title, the draw marks the first blemish on his professional record, following 30 consecutive victories, including 28 knockouts.
At the press conference, Davis revealed that he had rinsed his hair with water before the fight but underestimated the lingering effects of the product. “I didn’t want to get caught while my eyes were burning—you can get knocked out like that,” he explained. “So I took the knee. I didn’t even realize the ref would start counting.”
Davis’ coach, Barry Hunter, admitted that his fighter lost track of the rounds, mistakenly believing it was the eighth when it was actually the twelfth. “Maybe it was a lapse in focus, but we’ll fix that,” Hunter said.
Both fighters signaled interest in a rematch. Roach, whose record now stands at 25 wins, one loss, and two draws, remains confident in his abilities. “I thought I did enough to win,” he said. “I’ve been telling y’all I got the skills. I can’t wait to dance again.”
