Mike Coppinger
The New York State Athletics Board said in a statement to ESPN that it was a “review of the issue” that included Saturday’s Jevonta Davis Roach WBA lightweight title fight in Brooklyn.
“Tank” Davis, one of the top boxing stars, went down on his knees following a punch that Roach landed in round nine. Judge Steve Willis began counting correctly, but when he reached the three he stopped, knocking it down and not ruled.
If Willis followed the rules and called a knockdown, Roach would have won by decision. Instead, the WBA junior lightweight champion settled in a draw as he tried to become a double champion that would have represented a shocking upset. Davis (30-0-1, 28 Kos) was a banned -2000 favorite with every ESPN bet.
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Two judges fought and won 114-114, while a third judge won 115-113 for Davis.
“During the round of question, there was a technical issue that prevented the committee from receiving it within the allocated time for review, following the committee’s request for a replay video,” a committee spokesperson said. “Therefore, decisions within the umpire ring depended on and the fight continued.
“The committee is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of combat sports and is working with all promotional and production teams on behalf of athletes, officials and fans to ensure that no technical issues will arise in the future that will hinder the supply of ringside instant replays when necessary.”
Davis of Baltimore said he was on his knees after the game because grease from the hair treatment “fired my eyes.” Davis was also allowed to wipe his eyes with a towel in the corner. This is prohibited during the round. Only the judge has the authority to stop action. This is the second major incident involving the New York Commission last year. In April, boxing star Ryan Garcia’s upset victory over Devin Haney was overturned to a no-contest after testing positive for a banned substance. The committee also suspended him for a year and punished seven figures.
“What I’m wondering is whether the committee only makes changes when they complain or cry like Haney, or do they actually care about the integrity of the sport!” Garcia posted on X on Sunday. “There’s nothing against the tank, but since the committee switched my victory, they should switch this victory to Roach.”
The match contract included Davis’ rematch clause in the event he didn’t win. The 30-year-old said he was “seeking a rematch” in late May at X on Monday.
“If you take your knees and the ref starts counting, it should be a knockdown,” Roach (25-1-2) said after the match. “If that’s a knockdown, I’ll win the fight.”
The 29-year-old Washington, DC cockroach remains a 130-pound WBA title holder. He is ranked fifth in Junior Lightweight ESPN.
Davis is ESPN’s No. 1 lightweight, 8 pound pound boxer.
