Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) bet Lamont Roach Jr. (25-1-2) $250,000 that he would win via knockout. Not only did he lost that handshake bet, but he very nearly lost the fight as well, escaping with a majority draw in a fight very few thought would last 12 rounds—let alone be competitive from opening bell to closing.
But it was certainly the case at the sold-out Barclays Center as Roach more than held his own against Tank Davis, who was defending his WBA lightweight belt in front of 19,250 fans. Davis, as has been his style throughout his career, started off slowly and cautiously, picking his spots as Roach pressed the action and looking for the challenger to make mistakes.
But by the middle rounds, it was clear Roach was at his best and would not be cowed by the champ’s deliberate style. Davis finally let his hands go starting in the seventh round, but Roach gamely stood in the line of fire, absorbed Tank’s best shots, and gave back some of his own. He even caught Davis with a counter right that momentarily stunned the 29-year-old titleholder.
In the end, two judges scored the fight 114-114, while another had Tank Davis ahead, 115-113. Davis won the last two rounds on all the scorecards, highlighting the adversity he had to overcome to beat Roach.
Tank Davis Takes a Knee in Pivotal Moment
While the fight ended in a draw, a key moment in the ninth round could’ve changed the outcome in favor of the challenger. With 2:12 in the round, Tank Davis took a knee momentarily and looked away after Roach landed a soft jab. But the referee, Steve Willis didn’t rule it a knockdown.
After the fight, Davis explained the bizarre scene: “I just got my hair done two days ago and she put grease in my hair. When I was sweating and things like that, it burned my eyes.”
Had the Willis ruled Tank’s knee as a knockdown, it could have potentially shifted the scores from 114-114 on the two scorecards to 114-113 in favor of Roach had things played out the same way to end the fight.
“If you take a knee and the ref starts counting, it should be a knockdown,” Roach said of the uncalled knockdown. “If that’s a knockdown, I win the fight. I’m not banking on that knockdown to win. I just thought I pulled it out.”
After the fight, Davis gave credit to Roach and said he is looking forward to a rematch.
“Lamont is a great fighter,” Tank Davis said after the fight. “He got the skills, like I said before, he got punching power. It was a lesson. Hopefully, we can run it back.”
