The New York State Athletic Commission could overturn the Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach fight result.
Tank retained his WBA Lightweight Title with a controversial majority draw against Roach after the referee failed to call a knockdown in round nine. Davis took a knee in round nine and went to his corner to remove some grease from his face. The referee should have started counting but failed to do so, meaning Roach was prevented from getting a 10-8 round that would have been enough to see him win on two of the scorecards. That would have made him a two-weight world champion with Tank’s WBA belt.
The CompuBox numbers showed that Roach was the better fighter. He outlanded Davis with his jabs and punches landed, showing just how hard he had been done by. There are naturally calls for a rematch, as the WBA President Gilberto Mendoza has stated that this is the goal. Meanwhile, Davis has also hinted that a rematch could take place in May. The New York State Athletic Commission has now reacted. They stated that a technical error meant they were not able to see a replay of the event. This is why it was not dealt with immediately.
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“During the round in question, following the commission’s request for the replay video, there was a technical issue preventing the commission from receiving it within the allotted time for review. Therefore, the referee’s in-ring decision was relied upon and the fight continued.
“The commission is dedicated to preserving the integrity of combative sports. And, is committed to working with all promotions and production teams — on behalf of the athletes, officials, and fans — to ensure technical issues do not occur in the future that prevent the delivery of ringside instant replay feeds to the commission’s officials when needed,” NY Commission said
But Roach could now get the win, giving Davis the first loss of his career. This naturally raises question marks over where Tank goes next. Before the Roach fight, Tank said he wanted to box three more times this year before walking away from the sport. However, a rematch with Roach means that he could very well extend his stay if he desires to secure the biggest fights on his way out of retirement. His team has also reportedly contacted Vasiliy Lomachenko over a unification.
“A member of Davis’ team inquired afterward with a Top Rank executive about the availability of Vasiliy Lomachenko as a potential opponent for Davis later this year,” Keith Idec
Loma is the IBF Lightweight Champion, having stopped George Kambosos Jr. in his last fight. The Ukrainian could very well end up retiring. But he may be tempted by a big payday against Davis before walking away from the sport. Davis’ brand will no doubt be damaged if he does have one loss in his career, no longer making him in the elite club of undefeated fighters. That leaves Davis with some thinking to do moving forward.
