There was a lot of debt to go around in the early hours of Sunday morning after the controversial majority that Gervonta Davis almost cost his World Boxing Association Lightweight Championship and undefeated record.
Not long after the three-division champion from Baltimore survived 12 hairy rounds with Lamont Roach JR to keep his title closely, Davis blamed the so-called knockdown who should have waved the fight to his opponent with a cosmetic failure. He blamed for losing his loming of which round it was on the absence of ring girls. Above all, he blamed for the flatest performance of a 13-year-old professional career.
“That was on me,” Davis admitted, when he finally arrived at 2.36 hours to ask questions from a room with written-eye reporters. “I don’t pick it up if I had to pick it up. I could certainly have done more. That’s my fault. “
The result – a stalemate that some people considered a reasonable result and others considered a robbery – did not go well with both fighter. Davis, whose 93.3% knock -out percentage that came in on Saturday, was the highest of every current world champion, was left frustrated by a fight in which Roach refused to wilt.
“Nobody likes a draw,” said Davis Plat. “A man who gets knockouts and things like that, but it’s cool. I feel that if we fight again, I could do more – and I should have done more. “
Roach, a 9-1 underdog that made his lightweight debut, was even less satisfied.
“I thought I won,” Roach said about it. “I thought I did enough to win the victory over a spectacular hunter. I told you from the start, man, that I got the skills to pay the bastards. And I’m just happy to show it. “
For Roach, the fight was an opportunity to prove itself at the greatest stage of his career. He knew what he was against and refused to withdraw.
“People talked like I would be intimidated,” said Roach. “But I was ready to boogie. I knew I had a chin. I spar boys who are junior middle weights, middle weights, current champions. I knew I could take a blow. “
And Davis, one of the most dreaded punchers of sport with concussion in both hands, landed enough. Roach made some of Davis’s best shots and stayed upright, something that few opponents can claim.
“He got a considerable power,” Roach acknowledged. “I’m not going to say it’s exaggerated. I told you, I have a chin – I’m not going that way. But I see why he beats people. Once I had his best chance, I had something like: “Oh yes, it’s time to roll.” ‘
Davis, on the other hand, was surprised by Roach’s sustainability.
“He caught me with a good shot,” Davis admitted. “But there were times when I thought,” Damn, this guy is super slow. ” Well, not super slow, but I could have benefited from those moments.
The most controversial moment of the night came in the ninth round when Davis took a knee immediately after absorbing a left puncture to the head. Roach and many observers thought it should have been ruled a knockdown.
“I’m not the ref,” said Roach. “But the rules do state whether he voluntarily takes a knee, that is an automatic count. However, I did not trust that. I thought I was winning anyway. But if they counted it, I would have won a majority decision. “
Davis claimed that his vision was affected because of the chemicals in his freshly braided hair. His co-trainer, Barry Hunter, described the substance as “Ho Juice”.
“I walked water over it today, but I shouldn’t have done enough,” said Davis. “My eyes were burning. I didn’t want to be caught while my eyes are burning – you can be eliminated like this. So I took the knee. I don’t really know you can get the count for that. “
Davis’s was also almost done by another critical mistake: he lost sight of the rounds.
“He thought it was round eight when it was round 12,” Hunter revealed. “He thought he still had time to pick it up, but there was no time left. We needed three rounds. I shouted: “I need three, I need two” and he got it, but he forgot where he was. ‘
Davis attributed the decline of consciousness to the absence of Ringmeisjes, the women who enter the ropes during breaks in the action that carries signs that display the number of the next round. He also hinted at a unrest behind the scenes that endangered his preparations: “I don’t want to spend it, but I have to work for myself for myself.”
For Roach this was a coming party. For Davis it was a wake-up call.
“I could have stopped,” said Davis. “It’s on me. I let it go to the jury members, and you can’t do that in boxing. I have to go back to the gym. It just put fuel in the fire. But it’s cool, it’s cool. The draw is ok. You live and you learn. “
While Davis was disgusting to give Roach the honor because he pushed him to the edge, Hunter took a more grand approach, pointing to the fame between the hunters from their shared history in the amateur ranks.
“Lamont is a very skilled hunter,” said Hunter. “He comes from the area. In that through that area there is a lot of talent and no one wants to lose. So I knew it would be a hard fight. This is going on forever. We all help each other. They know our strengths, they know our secrets. We know theirs and vice versa. That is what caused a good fight. I thought it was a great, tough fight and I would like to see it run again. “
He is not alone there. Davis also said he plans to be a rematch, albeit not immediately. But as far as Roach is concerned, the sooner the better.
“I can’t wait to do it again,” he said. “I can’t wait to dance again.”
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