Boxing fans live for the drama. They crave those edge-of-your-seat moments that leave everyone talking for days. And boy, did the Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach fight deliver! What should have been another notch in Tank’s perfect record turned into one of the most talked-about boxing controversies of 2025. A massive underdog, a mysterious knee drop, and hair product excuses? This fight had it all.

Nobody gave Lamont Roach a fighting chance. Moving up from super featherweight to challenge the undefeated knockout artist Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis seemed like career suicide. The oddsmakers had Roach as a +900 underdog for good reason – Tank had flattened his last four opponents and carried a perfect 30-0 record.

But from the opening bell at Barclays Center, Roach showed he wasn’t there to be another highlight on Tank’s reel. Using sharp jabs and smart pressure, Roach consistently backed up the champion and avoided the power shots that had demolished previous challengers. The crowd, expecting another Tank knockout party, instead witnessed a boxing chess match that went the full distance.

Taking The Knee

The boxing world collectively gasped in the ninth round. In what has quickly become the most replayed moment of the fight, Tank Davis suddenly dropped to one knee near his corner. According to boxing’s rulebook, this should have been ruled a knockdown with an automatic point deduction.

However, referee Steve Willis made a decision that changed everything. Instead of counting it as a knockdown, Willis allowed Davis to lean over the ropes while his corner toweled off his eye area. The Barclays Center crowd immediately sensed something fishy. Had the undefeated champion found a clever way to catch a breather in a surprisingly tough fight?

The Hair Product Defense

When asked about taking a knee, Davis offered an explanation that left fans rolling their eyes.

“I ran water over it today, but I must not have done it enough. My eyes were burning. I didn’t want to get caught while my eyes were burning – you can get knocked out like that. So I took the knee. I ain’t really know you could get the count for all that.”

The sold-out Barclays Center crowd didn’t buy it for a second, showering him with loud boos. The excuse seemed convenient at best and desperate at worst. Gervonta Davis, who had bulldozed through opponents with his devastating power, apparently needed a timeout because of hair product issues? Boxing Twitter erupted, with fans creating memes faster than Davis throws his left hook.

Lamont Roach Speaks Out

Lamont Roach didn’t mince words after the fight. The super featherweight champion believed he had done enough to dethrone Davis, pointing directly to the controversial ninth-round incident.

“I thought I pulled it out. That’s what two skilled fighters do, go in there and show off their craft. I definitely thought I won but we can run it back. I told y’all in every interview single interview since the fight got announced. And you can see that’s what I do. I’m him. I’m one of the best fighters in the world and it showed tonight…It should have been a knockdown. If that was knockdown, I win the fight.”

Roach’s confidence wasn’t misplaced. He had gone toe-to-toe with one of boxing’s biggest stars and, in many observers’ eyes, deserved to leave with the belt.

Controversial Scorecards Lead to Draw

When the scorecards were announced, the controversy only deepened. One judge scored it 115-113 for Davis, while the other two scored it 114-114, resulting in a majority draw. The decision allowed Davis to keep his title but ended his perfect record.

For the first time in his professional career, ‘Tank’ couldn’t claim victory. His record now stands at 30-0-1, that lone draw a permanent reminder of the night he nearly lost everything. Boxing analysts have already begun dissecting the scorecards, with many pointing out that had the ninth-round knee been correctly ruled a knockdown, Roach would have claimed a majority decision victory.

Rematch Demands Growing Louder

The boxing world loves nothing more than unfinished business. Lamont Roach didn’t hesitate to call for a second fight. Fans are already clamoring for a rematch, with social media polls overwhelmingly supporting another showdown.

This controversy joins boxing’s long history of disputed decisions that eventually led to legendary rematches. Remember the first Holyfield-Lewis draw that sparked outrage? Their rematch became an instant classic. Could we, as boxing fans be heading for another historic boxing rivalry born from controversy?

READ MORE: Is Boxing Corrupt?

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