Boxer Gervonta Davis has held onto his WBA light-weight title regardless of voluntarily dropping a knee to the canvas and getting hair product wiped from his face.
His opponent, Lamont Roach, mentioned the knee place ought to have counted as a “knockdown”.
Had it been, Davis would have misplaced a degree and Roach would have gained their bout in New York, resulting in Davis’s first profession defeat.
However the battle was scored as a majority draw, which means that Davis – nicknamed Tank – held onto his belt.
One choose gave the competition to Davis 115-113, the opposite two scoring it 114-114.
Davis willingly took a knee close to his nook within the ninth spherical earlier than leaning over the ropes so his crew may towel off the world round a watch.
He mentioned grease had bought into the attention after having his hair completed a number of days earlier than the bout.
Referee Steve Willis didn’t depend it as a knockdown, correctly when a knee hits the canvas.
Roach commented: “It ought to have been a knockdown. If that was knockdown, I win the battle.
“He’s saying grease got in his eye, but if he takes a knee and the ref starts counting, it should be a knockdown.”
Different boxers have been stunned, too.
Multi-division champion Terence Crawford mentioned: “I never seen someone take a knee and they don’t count it as a knockdown.”
Roach known as for a rematch afterwards.
“For sure, Lamont is a great fighter,” Davis mentioned.
“He got the skills and the punching power. It was a lesson learned. Shout out to Lamont Roach and his whole team. Hopefully we can run it back in New York.”
